Friday 23 February 2018

I WILL CONFIRM DROMORE CHILDREN


PARENTS OBJECT TO MC AREAVEY CONFIRMING THEIR CHILDREN


I WILL CONFIRM DROMORE CHILDREN IF PARENTS WISH



By Claire O'Boyle
Belfast Telegraph

  
Parents at four Catholic primary schools in Co Down have said they do not want the Bishop of Dromore to officiate at their children's confirmations following recent revelations about paedophile priest Malachy Finnegan.


FINNEGAN

During an emotional meeting with parents from one school, Bishop John McAreavey - who recently spoke of his regret at celebrating Requiem Mass for Finnegan but refused to step down - is understood to have said he would "reflect" on the issue.
Bishop McAreavey was due to oversee proceedings at the milestone sacrament of confirmation for primary seven pupils in the coming months at St Patrick's Primary School in Hilltown, St Patrick's Primary School in Mayobridge, St Colman's Primary School in Saval and Carrick Primary School, Burren.


SAINT PATRICK'S PS HILLTOWN

At a meeting last Thursday with the board of governors at St Patrick's in Hilltown, which lies in the parish of Clonduff, parents expressed their reluctance to have Bishop McAreavey involved in the ceremony.


SAINT PATRICKS PS MAYOBRIDGE

This was relayed to the bishop, and he met parents the following day.
During a meeting held at the parish centre in Newry last Friday, the bishop was asked when he would be tendering his resignation, following his decision to speak at the funeral of the child abuser.


SAINT COLMAN'S PS SAVAL

Bishop McAreavey is understood to have said he would come to a decision on his part in the confirmations "in the next few weeks".
Headteacher at the school, Una Lawless, did not wish to comment.


CARRICK PS BURREN

A number of parents of children at St Patrick's in Mayobridge are also believed to have said they do not want the bishop to officiate.
Principal Margaret Ryan also declined to comment, saying it was "not a school matter".
Parents of children from St Colman's Primary School in Saval and Carrick Primary School in Burren are understood to have expressed similar concerns.
The headteachers at both schools declined to comment.
In situations where a bishop does not carry out confirmations, parish priests are permitted to conduct proceedings.
A spokesperson for the Diocese of Dromore said yesterday: "Some concerned parents from the Hilltown area whose children are to receive the sacrament of confirmation later this year inquired whether they could meet the Bishop last Thursday.
"That request was immediately responded to and a meeting took place on Friday 16. The parents were met by the bishop, the director of safeguarding and an adviser to the diocese. The adviser chaired the meeting. Parents expressed their reservations about this year's confirmation service in light of the revelations of the Spotlight Programme. The bishop made it clear that he understood their position and that he would not be an obstacle to their wishes when the time came. That remains his position."
Dr McAreavey officiated over Fr Finnegan's requiem Mass in early 2002, despite being aware of abuse allegations.
Later that year he met one of the clergyman's victims, and said it was this meeting that made him realise his part in the funeral was "simply a mistake".He insisted he hadn't intended to "honour" the paedophile by speaking at the Mass.
Earlier this week the bishop said he felt "conflicted" over his role, adding: "I made a decision not to say one word of praise or acknowledgement of his ministry, so in a sense that was how I felt I was balancing the conflict that was in my mind about it."
Dr McAreavey told the Newry Reporter that sex abuse scandals in the church had "challenged his faith" and revealed that three more victims of Fr Finnegan had come forward since a BBC Spotlight programme was screened earlier this month. Previously the bishop said the first allegation against Finnegan, who worked at St Colman's College in Newry from 1967 until 1987, emerged in 1994. He was moved to Clonduff parish in 1988.
Dr McAreavey, who took the reins in the Diocese of Dromore in 1999, said his predecessor's failure to make a public statement on Finnegan's abuse was a "gross error", and admitted that when he took up the position he allowed those arrangements to stand.
He said he had been "on the point" of naming the priest "several times" but said he had received no guidance from the Church on how to deal with the matter. A total of 12 allegations were made against Fr Finnegan.
The Diocese of Dromore reached a financial settlement with victims in October 2017 but details only emerged this month.
Dr McAreavey was not able to confirm an "exact figure" paid out in compensation, and disputed claims that a further 12 cases were pending. He said the number was "much smaller".
Finnegan, who was president of St Colman's College for 11 years, was not defrocked before his death because he started to suffer the onset of dementia from 2000, Dr McAreavey said.


PAT SAYS:


The distraught mother who rang me the other day about the possibility of John McAreavey confirming her children was from one of the four parishes mentioned in THE BELFAST TELEGRAPH.

This mother DOES NOT WANT John McAreavey confirming her children.

She has now be joined by scores of other mothers and fathers from at least 4 Dromore parishes who do not want McAreavey to confirm their children.

I am happy to LISTEN to the worries of these parents and PUBLISH their views here on this Blog which is widely read.

Furthermore, IF ANY PARENT, OR GROUP OF PARENTS, WANT TO BRING THEIR CHILDREN TO LARNE FOR CONFIRMATION THEY WILL BE 100% WELCOME.

AND - IF ANY PARENT OR GROUP OF PARENTS WANT ME - AS A CATHOLIC BISHOP - TO TRAVEL TO THEIR AREA TO CONFIRM THEIR CHILDREN I WILL BE HAPPY TO DO DO.

The Church must listen to the voices of concerned parents on this issue.

If John McAreavey does not resign immediately he will divide the diocese of Dromore and its faithful priests and people.
I can be contacted on:

07488 374364

bishopbuckley1@outlook.com

133 comments:

  1. Touting for business Pat. If the Bishop decides not to celebrate Confirmation, he can delegate that role to someone else as happens in the Dublin Diocese. Pat, you cannot simply turn up at any church to do what you like! You do not adhere to or respect the integrity of church teachings nor do you deserve to be allowed to celebrate the sacraments in any parish church. Such presumptive arrogance. While I'd have misgivings about the Bishop, I most certainly wouldn't approve of you as celebrant. You're using the travails of the Bishop of Dromore to stir up and foment a hatred of him and to encourage a lynch mob attitude towards him. That's outrageous behaviour. I wouldn't allow you to touch my son or daughter. I presume the Bishop will assign other celebrants which I hope he does. You are abusing your power and ministry.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. +Pat is untainted. Whereas +McAreavey would need a taintectomy, if such an operation existed, to remove the taint.

      Delete
  2. Stay out of that Confirmation dispute,Pat. They will resolve it among themselves.
    There's nothing so bad that it can't be made worse!

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    Replies
    1. Never interrupt your enemy +Pat while they're busy making mistakes.

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  3. Pat, with all due respect, you are not the solution to Dromore’s difficulties. Most parents will not want, under any circumstances, YOU confirming their children.

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    Replies
    1. I missed the point that 00.32 was elected spokes person for 'most parents'. I must have been away that day.

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  4. You confirm them? ROFL :-D

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  5. Pat, did you confirm the pretend Magna Carta? I wondered after someone here referred to him as a confirmed bachelor and nobody could understand how a bishop could get close enough to slap him round the face without getting bitten.
    In his relentless pursuit of a notional education (he may be a bachelor but a degree has been beyond him so far) and inspired by the football references yesterday, he has stayed up all night reading about the Eton Wall Game. He feels this is just the touch of Englishness and breeding to which he aspires. He will no doubt reply to this saying his father was the boy who first ran with the rugby ball or some such tosh.

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  6. Steady on Pat!
    The prominent headline, "I will confirm Dromore children if parents wish", by it's prominence as headline seems to convey and imply that McAreavey is forcing an ultimatum that he intends to "impose" his authority as the only option for the children to be confirmed.
    Admittedly the subsequent narrative does not state that. But in the manner of the blogs presentation you could perhaps be justifiably accused of giving a false impression of McAreavey's position. So fair's fair.
    For my part I think he should resign ASAP and out of respect for the parents views clarify ASAP that confirmations will be undertaken by someone else.
    MMM

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. MMM - 0.16: I think you may be very unfair to the Bishop. If parents in a particular school are happy, then the Bishop should officiate. I think it's unfair for anyone to foment conflict by using provocative language. You're not doing so, but Pat sadly is attempting to interfere in a jurisdiction which is not his business. Yes, he can comment but the idea that he, Pat, believes he can walk into any parish and celebrate is a delusional wish of his. I hope the Bishop will seriously reflect on the concerns of parents and appoint/delegate other personnel. I believe the Bishop should resign but I also believe the language used by some which encourages hatred against him is misplaced. And, as we all know, Pat delights in the downfall of any Catholic Priest or Bishop. Somehow, with his gleeful disposition re: Bishop McAreavy, Pat must feel he has won the jackpot. I, for one, know from my pastoral challenges and conflicts, peaceful resolution is found only through ooen and honest dialogue with tespective individuals taking responsibility for their misjudgment/wrongdoing. I hope this approach will work but I abhor the "kicking the person harder when they're on the ground" approach. It is not productive or fruitful.

      Delete
    2. John McAreavey had no problem coming to tribunals and courts to speak against me after Cahal Daly sacked me.

      Believe me I saw the dark side of this man.

      Did he not kick a person when they were down?

      Delete
    3. Keep out of it MMM as you are an atheist, sick of your negative comments to score cheap points. That’s your purpose. You only come on here to score cheap points. When we see MMM it’s nothing positive, that’s why Pat likes you. Why do you engage in a topic/blog that you clearly hate. Go elsewhere because your posts are tedious and when I see MMM I automatically know false and negative.

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    4. @12:21 Give him no quarter.

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    5. 12.21 : Pat: All the misfortunes that you experienced are entirely the fault of other people!!! - Can that be true? I know it's not true. You were always a trucculent, obstinate and stubnorn individual. Yes, you have good qualities but you seem to have lost any capacity for mercy, fairness and balance. If Bishop McAreavy kicked you when you were down, is encouraging a lynch mob against him the right thing to do? I would never wish stone throwing or revenge as a way of dealing with past hurts. I would seek justice through the law of the land and seek professional help if necessary....I try to live by Jesus' law ..."Love your enemies...do good to those who hate you..". A very difficult command. Not the retribution and hatred you encourage.....which most definitely is not the attitude that "keeps the memory of Jesus Sacred".

      Delete
  7. "... said he would "reflect" on the issue."

    A reflectosexual.

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  8. If McAreavey does not confirm the children it will be a gesture of goodwill but will not solve the underlying problem. He has said sorry but what has he done on his own patch to make things better in a practical way going forward. I'm not sure if resignation is the best option. He needs to fix things not dissappea

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sean, I agree with you there. I hope the bishop doesn't resign. He is in a good position now to do something or at least to start a conversation which may help everyone in time. I hope he uses the time left to him well and not just go on as before. Himself and Sean Brady have a wealth of knowledge and experience between them that could be put to good use. I hope they use their talents well. We need to hear a new perspective for them.

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    2. 12:27, you are truly unbelievable.😯

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    3. You cannot be serious!

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  9. I hope you will be informing anyone who receives confirmation from you Pat that they are not confirmed in the Roman Catholic Church but into the independent Catholic Church?

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    Replies
    1. 8.31 Like my Orders Pat's Confirmation is valid. Confirmation is an extension of baptism. All this bishop and pointy hat stuff is window dressing

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    2. The Anglican Church is certainly window dressing Mr Page.

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    3. Indeed it is rev closed mind as are the clerics who ponce around in expensive clothes and vestments. You could smell their cologne round the corner.

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    4. No one is confirmed into the Roman Catholic Church alone. They are confirmed into the Church of God.

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    5. Sean at 9.26, 13.10 and elsewhere today. You are making up a whole new theology and you seem so confused. Of course the Anglican way will suit you as all you need is a show of hands for acceptance of whacky ideas! Why have so many Anglican Ministers defected to the True Catholic Church? Have you not discovered answers to enlighten us? And, in relation of dress codes - the Anglican priests and its Liturgical dressings far surpass anything I've seen in a Catholic Church ..... It's like being at a performance of Madame Butterfly....

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    6. Madama Butterfly

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    7. 17.32: Of course I should have printed MADAMA! Having such love for opera, Puccini would be disappointed but whether it's Madama or Madame - I've witnessed Anglican Clergy rehearse and act as if Puccini himself hand picked them for the parts they play!! (The "lesser" dramatics in the Catholic liturgies are more like Mrs. Doubtfire!).

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  10. Magna will be ecstatic with joy when he reads this post.
    I just don't know which Magna is going to respond: I, 2, 3 or now we have 4! Holy Moly.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There is only one: c'est moi!😆

      Those others are...tch!...of no consequence.😆

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    2. I see you found your old Berlitz Teach Yourself French gramophone records in the attic.
      Apres moi, un autre Magna Carta!

      Delete
  11. I think I'll confirm my own children and have enough of all this nonsense.
    We'll save on the expensive outfits and have a grand party at home!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 8.50 Perhaps you could. If you can baptise you can invoke the Holy Spirit. The spirit will decide how to respond. You are confirming your children every day by being a good parent

      Delete
    2. Poor auld seany Brady bless him. We used to call him the bard in the Irish College. He had a little pokey room for an office. Jack Hanley was rector and window dressing. S.B I believe was the real runner of the place.

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    3. Sean @09.29 Let’s make it up as you suggest because the Anglicans make it up every day and change things around on a daily basis. Just look at the numpty in Canterbury and the even bigger numpty in York says it all. It says it all when you have joined such an outfit, maybe explains your reasoning for parents to Confirm their own children - sounds like Anglicanism to me. Maybe you could explain why so many married Anglican Vicars are gay - I know because I’ve met quite a few of them.

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    4. 9.29 Same reason as a soccer ball is round. It is what it is. Sexuality and orders are not in themselves part of the same issue

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    5. Gay cruising areas in England = Anglican Vicars. Most live a lie even with the option of being married.

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  12. If he truely had a vocation to priesthood he would relish the opportunity to return to parish ministry as an Assistant Priest.

    In the words of men like D.Martin and S.Brady, "do the right thing".

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  13. Is it one of the duties of a bishop to perform the sacrament of Confirmation? The reason I ask is due to the current practice of some bishops being "too busy" to perform Confirmations so the Parish Priest does it, the bishop is on a "three-year cycle" around parishes to do the confirmations??

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  14. Pat, it is not your business to interfere with the Dromore situation re: Bishop abd Confirmation. It is not your business to even assume that
    you would go to a Parish and officiate at a ceremony? You're entitled to your comments but please stop stoking up more difficulties. You thrive on other people's misfortunes. Not to disappoint you - but a Parish Priest can be delegated to officiate at Confirmation ceremonies. So, your hopes to further self aggrandizement will not be realised.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Sean, have you nothing useful to do? You are spending an ininordinate amount of time blogging and much of it is useless. Musn't be much happening in your new Anglican way of life!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 11.36 Same to you. You spend time reading the posts👅

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    2. 13.15: But now Sean, I totalky ignore your shallow and predictable comments...

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    3. 13.36 You cant call my comments shallow if you dont know whats in them then take time to reply. Have a good day

      Delete
  16. MAYNOOTH SEMINARIAN24 February 2018 at 11:57

    MAYNOOTH STORY- THE DISAPPEARED SEMINARIAN ???

    The disappeared 3rd Seminarian will go down in the history of the College for waking up the President at 3am and secondly his Heterosexual activity was a breath of fresh air in the seminary.

    The disappeared 3rd Seminarian,lived a 007 lifestyle fast car with blacked out windows to seek the women in and out of the College. He was only caught last November. For 5 years this seminarian lived a james bond life, oak ally cocktail bar on a Monday, Thursday night's roost and Coppers on a Saturday.


    The disappeared 3rd Seminarian was well known for over 5 year for nights out and will go down in Maynooth history for waking up the President.

    Pat major news story, Investigate the disappeared 3rd Divine Seminarian. This person has an extensive subversive record on an international scale from Ethiopia,USA, Rome, Bratislava, Germany and Maynooth. This seminarian owns apartments in Rome and Bratislava. I believe he is in the run from Interpol and the Revenue. Last Monday he disappeared without Seminary Council Knowing.

    The disappeared 3rd Divine Seminarian was known for his liking of German Erasmus students. I remember this seminarian reserved vip seats in the College Chapel during the carol service for his German girls.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It all sounds a bit far-fetched.

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    2. I got a good laugh at this... What a load of garbage!

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    3. Paul Trehy Clogher, alas all of the above is true. He was disabled?

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    4. @1751 What an absolutely despicable cowardly comment!

      You hide behind anonymity to name someone and call him disabled. You are a low life piece of scum mate! If that's the standard of man in our seminaries then God help us!

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    5. When you thought the gay mafia couldn't sink any lower.....

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    6. Strong words, 19:20. Well said. Absolutely revolting cowardice.

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  17. Was this seminarian sponsored by an Irish diocese? Which one?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Whoever @11.57 can be charged with bullshit. “Last Monday he disappeared without Seminary Council knowing” what a load of sh*t. I notice nobody was named, total false crap that you are easily led to believe. Facts, proof please.

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    2. That's what I thought too. A man with the financial and personal resources to carry on like that would in reality be turned down for seminary these days.

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  18. Pat, What happened to the seminarian who was on Grindr from a few weeks ago? Are confirmation parents in his diocese not put out by their bishop's judgement? Do they want their children confirmed by a bishop who doesn't care about promiscuity? What's the point in being confirmed by a bishop who doesn't agree with church teaching?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. As far as I know the bishop has done NOTHING.

      Delete
    2. If the bishop has done nothing, isn't time to revisit that story here? Hasn't the bishop been given enough time

      Delete
    3. Pat why won't you publish my comments? That Grindr was falsified! Maybe your informant has given you correct information in the past, but I can guarantee you that this information is false. Why won't you expose your lying informant?

      If you don't want to publish this comment at least acknowledge that you've received it!

      Delete
    4. I received information and pictures from a usually reliable source.

      I did not publish them but sent them to the relevant bishop for investigation.

      I did not publish either the accused or bishops name or diocese.

      What do you expect me to do when complaints are received?

      Cover up as in the past?

      Delete
    5. Thank you for replying.

      I cannot speak for the information your informant has given you in the past, but I can guarantee you this, that Grindr profile was falsified.

      For some reason your informant has given you false information this time. Perhaps he was given false information to pass on to you, or perhaps he done this deliberately to distract from himself or from someone he's trying to cover up for.

      Delete
    6. There's your real story Pat. Someone has created a fake Grindr account to try ruin a man's vocation. You've always said it, the gay mafia will stop at nothing!

      Delete
    7. 18:31 “...perhaps he done this...” ?

      Dear God Ronan Drury would turn in his grave. Niall Aherne would have apoplexy. Those were the days when there were standards in Maynooth.

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    8. Have they appointed a new Professor of Sacred Eloquence in Maynooth to succeed Ronan? Who edits The Furrow now?

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    9. Pádraig Corkery, Cork & Ross, Professor of Moral nearing retirement is new editor.

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    10. Thank you 10:24. That'll probably mean he remains in the college after his retirement. I hope he turns the Furrow in an orthodox direction. Did you know that for years it's been losing shedloads of money?

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    11. And which of the two is your primary grievance? It would be difficult to understimate Ronan Drury’s achievement.

      Delete
  19. MAYNOOTH

    The disappeared 3rd Divine Seminarian owns an apartment in the Manor Mills complex thats where he brought them back and then jumped the libray gate for morning prayer.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Similar to what Fergal O'Neill used do in Maynooth.

      Delete
    2. Balls, of more interest is a sem who left a couple of months before him, he could literally blow this thing wide open again, he knows everything about the gay mafia as he was immediately propositioned by them upon entry to seminary.

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    3. 13:58 when was he in Maynooth, 13:58?

      Delete
  20. Isn't it great that the moral compass of the church changes once it involves money. Norah Casey has spoken of her chequered history with the Catholic Church. She is a divorced woman. They're not afraid to have a divorced woman raise funds for them, yet insist that a divorced lady should have an annulment to received communion.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Can someone explain the difference between Bishop McAreavey attending a funeral of a sinner and other Bishops who cover-up the promiscuity of their priests and seminarians? While people reading this blog know about various seminarians and priests who were and are in relationships, the general public do not. Is that the difference?

    ReplyDelete
  22. @14:58 That's correct. It's all about getting caught or being in mainstream media. Once a story is picked up in the mainstream from this blog, it's curtains for the person.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Pat do you think that the reason the seminarian is still in Rome (if he is) is because of what he wrote on his Grindr profile. He stated on his profile: "Blacks, Chinese and Asians to the front of the line!!!" Do you think his bishop decided that it's best if the seminarian stays in Italy in case the Papal Nuncio here is in danger of being propositioned?

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  24. Dear Bishop Pat

    Please could you give me some advice. I am unlucky enough to be a Catholic in the Diocese of Lancaster, England where Bishop Michael Campbell OSA has ruled for 10 years. During that time he has ruined a perfectly good Diocese with poor Leadership, poor decisions and he has has given his Secretary, Father Robert Billing, a young and inexperienced Pastor free reign to govern in the Bishop’s name. The Clergy are spoken to like children and some of the emails and letters they receive from the Bishop’s Office are disgraceful. I am friendly with some Priests and Deacons who can’t wait for change and I know that they are also delighted to see the back of the Bishop’s secretary. The final nail in the coffin for me was 3 weeks ago when I attended holy Mass in my local Parish of St Monica’s Blackpool, when after the final blessing, the Priest briefly announced that the Church was closing for good with immediate effect. No consultation, no discussion, no letter from the Bishop, end of. I wrote to the Bishop and received a reply from his Secretary reminding me that the Bishop is a successor of St Peter and that was the end of it. I accept that our numbers are dwindling and money needs to be spent on the Church, but can a Bishop just close a perfectly good Church without consultation or communication?

    I phoned the Presbytery (we are twinned with another Parish) but the Priest said it was a direct instruction from the Bishop’s secretary as they weren’t prepared to spend money on a new boiler and not enough people attended Mass to make the Church viable. I offered to pay for the new boiler but apparently it is too late and the Church is now closed.

    An elderly nun friend of mine also wrote to the Bishop about the matter and she received a very rude response from the aforementioned Bishop’s secretary advising her to butt out and telling her that she has been reported to her congregation for daring to communicate with the Bishops office.

    Bishop Campbell is retiring and that is good news as is the fact that we are told his Secretary is moving abroad to study Canon law (a course on how to treat people may be a better use of Diocesan funds). The bad news is that several of us now have nowhere to go to Mass. We are elderly, our families paid for this Church and we are not very mobile. The thought of travelling to our twinned Parish where the newly ordained Priest in his 20’s wears a biretta, cassock and says Mass in Latin is just not for us.

    Any advice you could give about who to write to to formally complain would be appreciated.

    Thank you and God bless.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The new bishop, Father Paul Swarbrick, will be ordained on 9th April next. He seems a nice man. It would make sense to wait until he settles in and then make a constructive, non-aggressive approach about your issue.

      Delete
    2. Sorry I put this comment on another blog. I wasn’t sure how to start a new blog or how to write to you Bishop Pat.

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    3. 16:37

      Thank you for your question.

      I will reply by doing a separate blog about your question.

      Pat

      Delete
    4. Thanks so much

      Delete
    5. I agree with you 17.22 but prepare yourself for more of the same.
      Nasty name-calling is on it's way.

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    6. Somebody mentioned compassion earlier in the week. Ha ! Compassion is the last thing you see on this blog.
      It's a race to the bottom to see who can be the nastiest..... and it's not just Magna.

      Delete
  25. @16:37 You ealise that 'your' Fr Robert Billing arrived in Maynooth out of nowhere to be trained. Did you not have anywhere in the UK to train him? Always wondered what was the reason he came Maynooth?

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  26. @16:37 while you're at it he's Fr Robert Billing BD (Hons), STL. However, the "Hons" says it all really, especially for the BD. There was no BA. He rose without trace academically. He did a Diploma and not a BA in St Patrick's College, Maynooth. He seems to have left those post nominal out. Remind him of that the next time he writes a sniffy email.

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    1. He is very friendly with a newly ordained Priest and they like to dress up in old Latin rite gear together

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    2. He has served 2 Bishops as Secretary and hasn’t done a days turn in a Parish, yet he thinks he is the supreme governor! He seems very close to younger Priests, the Latin cleek. Not his fault. Too much responsibility and no experience. He has a well known nick name that I best not circulate here! The new Bishop will be a breath of fresh air. Bishop Campbell’s reign has been a disaster. Not an easy Diocese to run though I guess.

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    3. Nine-dollar-Bill presumably.

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    4. Dear 18:44 Do give us a clue about the nickname. e.g. it rhymes with ....batty

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    5. His email is frbilling@gmail.com

      A friend received an obnoxiously-toned email from him threatening to seek legal advice.

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    6. Who is the young queen in Lancaster not long ordained who came from the Westminster den of iniquity Allen Hall. Maynooth would pale into insignificance compared to that place.

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    7. Yes. Quite! Allen Hall is the next scandal still to brew! The Priest you refer to is another from the Latin frock brigade and he owns various frilly outfits. Zero personality and was quickly moved away from hospital chaplaincy as that would mean putting a shift in.

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  27. Where is Campbell going? Is he staying in the diocese, going back to his order or retiring to Ireland?

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    Replies
    1. Retiring to a small Scottish parish near LARNE FERRY.

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    2. Retiring to a Parish in a Scotland apparently.

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    3. Fr Robert Billing is the first and only Lancaster priest ordained out of Maynooth. This is how it came about:

      1. He joined the Society of African Missions.

      2. They sent him in due course to Maynooth, where they had a house. It's now closed, renamed Rye Hall, used as Maynooth University student halls and the oratory is now a lecture room.

      3. Not having good enough "A" Levels to enrol for a BA, he took the Sem Course, known formally as the Diploma in Philosophy and Arts. It took two years, was never taken by lay students, and was "A" Level/Leaving Cert standard.

      4. After a year with the SMAs he decided to be a diocesan semininarian. He applied to his home diocese of Lancaster. The then bishop POD, born in Ireland though not ex-Maynooth accepted Robert and allowed him to continue his formation in Maynooth.

      5. Is Robert a parish-dodger?

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    4. Yes he is a Parish dodger!

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    5. Has he actually served in a parish?

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    6. He was an assistant in one Parish for not even 12 months

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    7. He lives with the Bishop

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    8. 18:54 He now signs himself Robert Billing B.D. (Hons.), S.T.L.

      Delete
    9. Westminster priest25 February 2018 at 12:29

      His great sponsor, Bishop Patrick O'Donoghue ("POD") is now in the Nazareth House nursing home in Mallow, Co. Cork.

      POD was rector of Allen Hall during one of its most colourful periods. The strange goings-on got too much even for Basil Hume, who was remarkably tolerant of priestly sexual activity, provided it was done discreetly.

      Basil extracted POD from Alice Hall and had to give him a plum job, as befits a former rector of the Westminster seminary.

      So POD got Adm of Westminster Cathedral, where he was very popular. But Basil was an awful snob, especially about the Irish and he used to mock and mimic POD's accent behind his back.

      Delete
    10. Basil Hume was indeed remarkably tolerant, possibly because he was a repressed gay man himself. He knew, and ignored the fact that a former Anglican priest, converted to the Catholic church but still shared a house with his boyfriend.

      Basil dismissed lay complaints describing the happy couple shopping hand-in-hand in the Safeway/Asda in Wood Green. The ex-Anglican has a surname at the upper end of the surname register.

      Delete
  28. 17.21 Fr Billing has quite a reputation in the Lancaster Diocese. A lovely parishioner who never speaks badly about anyone, says he tells porkies (lies) Either he or the Bishop threatened an old man with cancer, with legal action when he queried the closure of a parish. If Canon Paul is any thing like his cousin Judith Swarbrick, he will be very intelligent, very effective, very holy and very kind. We can just wait and see.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. RB is well known for being hot headed and for making threats to the elderly. He does not like challenge. He also criticises senior Clergy and then denies it when challenged by them. The Lord will judge him.

      Delete
    2. RB is the only priest in Lancaster Diocese formed in Maynooth...

      Delete
    3. How can a diocese such as Lancaster, which is closing churches because of a shortage of priests, afford to have a full-time priest secretary and then send him off for further study? How much will that cost?

      Delete
    4. Costing circa 100k apparently. Totally agree.

      Delete
  29. Ireland V Wales in the Rugby today Pat.

    Only for a Welsh diocese you wouldn't have been ordained.

    An Irish Diocese welcomed you.

    Who were you supporting today????

    Nail your colours to the mast.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. As if Pat is one bit concerned with Rugby.

      Delete
    2. Not even the afterparties? And the spitroasting?

      Delete
  30. Sad news about the murder in Sligo.
    Was it anywhere close to your homeplace Sean?
    I hope Pat you will say a prayer for the family.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 18.31 I don't know about murder. I'll look it up. Sad Indeed. My Parish was near cranmore a large housing estate in the town. My home is Castlerea in Co Roscommon

      Delete
  31. How can he serve in Scotland?

    ReplyDelete
  32. The central question of today is......

    Where is Magna 2?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. He has seen the light, cleared off and realized there is a world outside of this nasty and narrow minded blog.

      Delete
    2. The main untruth on this blog is the rumour of my demise.
      I can only repeat what I said yesterday, that my day job as events organiser for the hierarchy keeps me busy. Bun fights for bishops have to be just so.
      Which is not something which can be said about the pretend Magna Carta whose social life is in disarray!

      Delete
  33. Is Fr X actually a seminarian in Maynooth and you are providing him with cover?

    ReplyDelete
  34. I have heard some mad shit about what is happening inside maynooth these days, honestly it would massively dwarf the scandals of 2016.

    ReplyDelete
  35. It's not a "central question" to me... more like a total irrelevance!

    ReplyDelete
  36. There is no thirst for truth but the group wants illusion.

    Freud

    ReplyDelete
  37. If Pat investages the 2 claims above and discovers the truth the reference to Freud becomes irrelvant.

    ReplyDelete
  38. Referencing the truth that Freud refers to is not whether or not the events occurred but Pat's interpretation of the events.

    A psychoanalyst.

    ReplyDelete
  39. 16-37. I don’t know how you can say Bishop Campbell has been a disaster. He has closed churches where he has been able to rationalise and amalgamate parishes. Also other churches of great heritage worth and value have been kept open and placed in the care of newly introduced religious orders and are attracting large congregations.
    I think you are probably one of the Preston naysayers. If you don’t like it then go south of the Ribble to Liverpool diocese and then you’ll have plenty of whinging and bitching to do.

    ReplyDelete
  40. Pat has it struck you as odd that every time the Rome Grindr story is mentioned (and queries about the seminarian in the Irish College) a couple of hours pass and then there's a despairing comment posted about it all being false. That tactic didn't work for Puck or Dublin Deacon. It shouldn't work in this case either.

    ReplyDelete
  41. Bishop Pat
    If Bishop Campbell is going to move to Scotland to be near the larne ferry could he pop over there and supply for you during holidays?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The two bishops could have a reciprocal arrangement with Pat popping over to the mainland to supply for Bishop Campbell.

      Delete
    2. That would work Pat!

      Delete
  42. I’m sure Bishop Campbell would be delighted to see a fellow bishop from his own soil.

    ReplyDelete