Friday 29 June 2018

TOP ISRAELI WRESTLER "COMES OUT"


ISRAEL’S WRESTLING CHAMPION COMES OUT: “DON’T AFRAID TO BE WHO YOU ARE”
PUBLISHED: JUNE 22, 2018 AUTHOR: WDG STAFF (TRANSLATED AND EDITED BY YANIR DEKEL FOR AWB)
SOURCE: WDG



Nir Rotenberg, the current champion of the Israeli wrestling league came out of the closet as gay. With a happy relationship with his partner and two children, he wants to become a role model: “If I had a gay role model as a young wrestler, the fears I’ve had in the past would have been avoided.”

Israeli wrestling champion Nir Rotenberg, AKA Rixon, is the first wrestling champion to come out of the closet. He lives in Tel Aviv with his partner Ronen and Ronen’s two children from joint parenthood, and the two already have plans to get married and have children of their own.

The moment when he was declared champion was a peak point in Nir’s professional life, but also in his personal life, after he realized how much responsibility comes with this title. His wrestling league friends already knew that Nir was gay, and so did his family and friends. Nir’s next step was to come out publicly to the entire wrestling fans in general and to his character’s fans in particular.



“I understood the extent of the responsibility and the influence that my actions have now that I am a champion, and I knew that it was time to come out of the closet in public,” he said. “If I had a gay role model as a young wrestler, the fears I’ve had in the past would have been avoided.”

Nir informed the Israeli wrestling league of his decision to come out in public and won the full support of his friends and coaches. On the day of the gay pride parade in Tel Aviv, the league also changed its logo on the official Facebook page to logo in rainbow colors.

Over the past few days, Nir has been giving a series of interviews in order to create visibility and convey his messages to anyone who’s willing to listen.
“My goal is to use the wrestling platform to convey messages and to create visibility and representation of the community in a field where it has not existed to date. In addition, it’s important for me to make it clear to everyone that all our successes and achievements as a community are not self-evident and that we have much more to achieve.”

In an interview on the morning program on Channel 13, Nir was interviewed alongside Rabbi Zarki. “The rabbi said to me, ‘Look where you are – you’ve achieved enough,’ in a kind of hint that the LGBT community can stop and enjoy what we have, instead of continuing to fight. But if the people who were here before us weren’t fighting we wouldn’t have been where we are today. And now we are here not only to enjoy the benefits that came from the results of the struggles conducted by our predecessors, but also to continue to fight for those who follow us. I don’t want to be the one in whose period the struggle was stopped because we apparently achieved enough. There’s so much to accomplish.”
Do you feel that coming out will change something in Rixon?

“Both Nir and Rixon deliver positive messages, and that’s what brought me to the championship – I didn’t try to cheat and cut corners, I just trained harder. This also connects with the message that I don’t want to hide in the closet anymore, because it’s not the right thing to do.

“The presentation of the character and the messages are expressed in the way I conduct my battles, and also in the way I speak with the audience. Some characters cheat and that’s part of their character. Rixon would never do that. There are funny good characters and there are tough good characters. My character is a good character who comes to convey a message – what will bring you success in life is to be a good person and work hard. ”

Now that he has come out of the closet publicly, he intends to incorporate the LGBT message into his character as well.

“I’m not only doing this for me, but there’s a whole community behind every one of my achievements. Before I came out I was trying to succeed for me personally. Today it’s more because I want to represent my country and represent my community.”

Why do you think there are still so many athletes who don’t come out?

“I guess that’s because people are afraid that this is an environment that will not accept them. Another concern is related to international success. Some athletes are afraid that big companies won’t sign them or sponsor them after they’d come out.”

Nir’s next challenge is to deal with his audience’s response on his coming out. In the next performance, which takes place June 27 in Petach Tikvah, he will meet his audience for the first time since coming out and will see if something has changed in the audience’s sympathy.

Afraid?

“Excited. If I used to fear that it would hurt my career, today I know that I will not do something that isn’t me just for my career. Just as I will not build an extreme gay character in order to win a battle, I will also not hide the fact that I’m gay. ”

What are your next goals?

“We live in the moment and enjoy the things we have, but in the long run we have plans that include getting married and have more children, and there’s also a thought to live abroad sometime, to promote myself in the field. But now that I hold the championship title I plan to invest in wrestling in Israel. I have a lot of responsibility as someone who people look up to, whether it’s people in Israel who are exposed to the field for the first time and look at me, or whether it’s wrestlers or fans abroad who check out Israeli wrestling and meet me in the forefront.




“I would like to be a role model for young people who are at the point where I was a few years ago. I want to tell them, ‘do not be afraid to be who you are.’ I proved that a representative from the community could be a champion and a leading figure without being ashamed and without apologizing. This is a record for me, but after reaching this peak, my goal is to promote Israeli wrestling in Israel and abroad. To expose the field to more audience in Israel and expose Israeli wrestling around the world.

PAT SAYS:

This is a very nice and inspiring story.

It defies the popular belief that homosexual relationships are all about sex.

Here we see two men in love with their children.


It is NOT the business of any one religion to say that there cannot be SAME SEX CIVIL MARRIAGES.

Religious people are entitled to believe what they believe about religious marriage.

But ALL citizens are entitled to have their love and relationship recognised by the STATE.


----------------------------------------------------

PIC OF THE DAY


90 comments:

  1. Love, LOve, LOVE! And what on Earth is wrong with it,(provided it is self-sacrifiving?😆

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    Replies
    1. 23.54: "Self sacrificing" Magna....which is something you're incapable of doing. Your world belongs to you alone; other people don't matter. (I was correcting your spelling!!). You epitomize the fullest meaning of selfishness, arrogance, immaturity, creepiness...

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    2. Don't listen to the haters Magna, your as entitled to your opinion as the next man.

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    3. ".. you're as entitled.."

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  2. If we're still at the primitive stage when someone "coming out" is actually thought to be unusual enough to be classified as a newsworthy item, then we haven't really moved on at all, have we? Whether or not this wrestler is gay, is irrelevant. Why are we still picking out things like that to comment on when they don't matter? This is not the 1960s when perhaps people would have regarded such "news" with goggle-eyed interest. It is of no consequence...

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    1. Like it or not, being gay is still an issue for many in 2018.

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    2. 09.01: Pat, that may be true but there is greater acceptance of and support for gay people. The gay community is now a hugely organised, political movement. They achieve almost any goals they pursue. But there is still too much of playing the "victim" and an almost hateful intolerance towards those who have different moral, social and religious perspectives. There are real heroes among parents with their families who deserve our gratitude and support but who simply get on with life and do what they are committed to doing, not acting as victims. Believe you me, being a patent is tough - tougher than any gay person will appreciate.

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  3. Wouldn't it be a novelty, wonderful too, if the Irish people, grown up at very long last, cast off the Roman Catholic priest yoke that has financiallly bled them dry while raping their children?

    Imagine an Ireland free of these vermin.

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    1. 94.40: Mive past your hatred and bigotry Magna. Was the heat too much you woke early? And drunk too. You despicable fool.

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    2. Magna Dear! it would be lovely if we had an Ireland free of you and your foul mouth!

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    3. Magna.....a truthful answer please. Are you a self-loathing homosexual?

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    4. 14:00 Even if I were, why on Earth did you think I would tell you, some anonymous prat?

      Get over yourself!😆

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    5. Magna Carta's Mum30 June 2018 at 19:13

      14:00 I can tell you categorically that a boy's best friend is his mommie! ��������������

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    6. Yes, dearest. It most certainly is.😆

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    7. Magna, I am no more anonymous than you......you have chosen to hide behind your nom de plûme.

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  4. Magna Carta's Mum30 June 2018 at 07:22

    Magna darling, you know I don't like to criticize, in fact the cannon often says that if I'd criticized you more when you were a boy you would have been less of a trouble to me, but I'm very worried about something you said yesterday. Do I understand the chocolate of which you are so fond, to have been made by monks? And monks of a monastery which is alleged to have sheltered paedophiles? Wouldn't you be better to buy chocolate from some other source? I have heard that the Cadbury family have a great track record of treating their employees well, as well as being Quakers. Surely it would be better to eat their chocolate rather than support what you call the w***e?
    Such language, darling, you didn't get that from me.

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    1. Dearest, I buy their chocolate, not their sins. And I buy their chocolate, because it is such good chocolate! You know me, mommie dearest: I have the very highest standards. You always encouraged me to strive for the very best and highest; and good little boys always do what mommie tells them. Mommie knows best.

      Yes, dearest, the language; the language. I know. But from a very early age, you taught little Magna the importance of rhetoric: of honing and perfecting his powers of speech. And Magna doesn't want to disappoint his mommie, does he?😆

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    2. Magna Carta's Mum30 June 2018 at 18:39

      Yes, Magna darling, Mommie knows best, and if you want to please Mommie you'll start eating the equally gorgeous Divine chocolate. I know you're always concerned to do what's best, but in this case please, for Mommie's sake, stop buying Caldey chocolate, darling. I would hate it if one of the nice people on Bishop Buckley's blog were to suspect you of double standards. You are rather critical of those who give money to the w***e, and buying Caldey chocolate could be seen as giving the w***e money yourself! I mean, you wouldn't insist on monastery beer, would you dear?

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    3. Mommie dearest, let's not lose our cosy domestic détente over this very small matter. Caldey Island is a business as well as a monastery, and I do business with the, er, business end of that.

      Your Magna's primary degree in economics and statistics taught him this much (if nothing more😕): one cannot really afford (See? I'm in commercial jargon mode already.) to be too personal in business. It's why that quaint little cake shop in Belfast brought such opprobrium on itself, by taking an innocent customer's order too personally.

      And yes dearest, I'd buy Caldey Island beer, too, if I liked it well enough.

      You always were inclined to sentimentality, dearest; and it's bad for business. It's money that makes the world go round; nowt else. (Yes, I speak Yorkshire English fluently, too.)

      Kisses and hugs from

      Magsie-Wagsie

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  5. All very nice, +Pat, but I was looking forward to something a little more interesting at the weekend. Better to have had a round up of events at this six-month point in the year.

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    1. An update of the rogues' gallery, or a 'where are they now' sort of thing always sets tongues wagging on the comments.

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  6. All very nice Pat, but why do they and you feel the need to stick it down our throats. Who cares?

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    1. I'm not sticking anything down your throat.

      It's a news item.

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  7. Hi Bish Pat. Talking about homos. Any update on Fr Martin Despard (from Motherwell Diocese) who was suspended a couple of years ago for writing a book about the gays that tried to touch him up in Seminary and his experiences of double standards by his brother Priests and superiors? All gone quiet.

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    1. He will never be allowed back to a Parish. The Bishop has offered him hospital chaplaincy with a caveat hate he can’t supply in a Parish. He declined.

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    2. Priests who speak out get punished - simple! There are many ways Bishops can do this. They can finish a Priest off with the stroke of a pen.

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    3. Some Bishops I know are fond of stroking something else with their friends

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    4. 12.06 Such an idiotic comment. What a fool you must be. If you haven’t anything constructive to add then take your face for a cr*p.

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    5. 1630. I know of at least 4 UK RC Bishops who are homosexual and are all active. My comment is not idiotic my friend. It is factual I am afraid.

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    6. Its probably the Innocent Priests who speak out about the way they are treated like dirt an speak the truth this is the way the Diocese's is been run like a cattle market. Shit all over. Why! did a bishop let a priest continue his ministry after fathering a child. I recall a priest who is now past away. Fr.Arty MC Anearney. He was based in Beragh Co.Tyrone. He was approached my News reporters which he wouldnt admitt. But did admitt to his church by fathering a child. Why did that priest not get a slap on the back of the hand by the Cardinal or Bishop's who was in office that time. Why did they move Fr.Arty to Magherafelt Church of the Asdumption whilst he fathered a child. He had continued his ministry while been an actual father, and a Priest. That certainly was not the religion of Gods teaching. Absoulte Shame on who let that happen. Also a disgrace to Fr.Gates letting them have a funeral in Magherafelt for him whilst his daughter read about him on the altar of God. That was certainly not God's ways or his Teaching. Absoulte Disgrace.

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  8. What a beautiful man. Hot!

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    1. Yes, very hot with a hosepipe ban in place now too. Nice to see weather it though..

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    2. 08.48. Which was the beautiful Man on that subject!. The Dead man or John Gates.

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  9. Is Maynooth closed this week? Who cares about wrestling? Although Puck in that jock strap pic could be a sumo wrestler.

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    1. Oh well no doubt one of the students or staff will reactivate Grinder for a couple of
      Months now.

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    2. Another one of Pat’s Spies our to damage another young mans career I suspect.

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    3. The priesthood is not supposed to be a "career"!

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    4. Get it right. It’s a vocation. Although few join for that reason these days. It’s a good and comfy lifestyle and good hiding place for homosexuality. I once went on holiday with a Priest friend who got out of bed at 8am (with his Priest boyfriend from a nearby Diocese) then they concelbrated Mass! They don’t discuss it and I know at least one of them frequents gay saunas and enjoys the company of a Twink now and again. Both good Priests and fairly high ranking too. One in Paisley, the other Glasgow. They have female nick names for themselves and most of the clergy and Bishops.

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    5. Sounds like you were rejected by them and that’s why you are trying to out them. I wouldn’t bother. We all know who they are anyway!

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    6. Good old Sean! Very sexy man and now he is looking thinner, his grinder profile will take off big time.

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    7. 12.14 this seems you wanted a threesome or living a dream if it were true.
      Paisley Diocese has NEVER had any scandal out of Scotland's 8 diocese's and long may that continue on the other hand Glasgow is full of scandal because of a very weak Archbishop PT and Mairo before him although Mario was worse and gave Gerry Nugent a full burial.

      Sadly a Paisley Priest at late 30's has left active ministry but no scandal attached.

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  10. Go on Pat. Tell us about your adventures as a Sem and whilst as an RC Priest. Did you get offers? Do you uphold your promises? Quiet news day so good to hear about our Blog Master for a change.

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    1. I have written a full a count of my sexuality/spirituality in my 2005 book: A Sexual Life - A Spiritual Life available to download on Amazon.

      Promises are a 2 way street. The "church" betrayed me.

      I am no longer a Roman cleric and no longer operate under their man made rules.

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    2. Thanks Pat. I will download that. Good holiday read I hope. You have opened my eyes about the RC Church that’s for sure

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    3. 10:02 Yes, it is a good read.

      An eyepopper in place

      An eye-mister in others.

      You won't be disappointed.

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    4. Thanks Magna. I love ur posts by the way. Love to hook up

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    5. 15:11 You're welcome.

      And thak you for the compliment.☺

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    6. 15.11: Be careful what you ask for in hooking up with Magna! You can't be serioys - Magna - one of the most deranged, ugliest drunkard you'll ever encounter. Dream on....

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    7. 17:42 I know you won't believe me, but I'm actually a lovely man, both physically and personally. (Between ourselves, I've had to remove every mirror from my home: I keep dropping dead every time I catch sight of my gorgeous reflection.😆)

      And I should love to hook up with that poster.

      Maybe one day.😊

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    8. I hope so a Magna. We have lots in common. ����

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    9. 18.14 - Dream on Mags dear: The memory of you from seminary days are not endearing or commendable of you, physically or emotionally. Aesthetically unattractive. Deranged. Unsuitable for relationships. Crazy. Life changes some people, but not you.

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    10. 20:30 Guffaw, guffaw, guffaw!😆

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  11. Some serious reflections Pat

    Do you feel that by destroying these young men’s vocations you are getting back at the Church that ‘betrayed’ you? Does it make you feel better about yourself?

    It always struck me that you are passing your pain and hurt on to a new generation of gay men and causing issues for them with the Church.

    You talk about double lives and not living by the teaching of the Church yet you never lived by them rules yourself. It seems strange that you are enforcing rules you do not believe and attack men who are more like you than against you. It seems counter productive. You are not hurting the Church per se but you are hurting gay people who now have to experience what you experienced with the Church.

    These are just some thoughts.

    SJ

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    1. I think we need to be very careful about psychoanalysing people we have never met from a distance.

      I do not have "pain" with regard the RC church.

      Through experience and observation I have come to the conclusion that this particular denomination is not an authentic church and that many people in it are hypocrites.

      Im talking about people who public profess chastity and celibacy, preach it to others, and have a secret active sex life.

      I have never preached to people about sexuality and have never given people in Confession a bad time over their sexuality.

      What we have these days are theologically conservative/stupid young men talking about the Catechism and dressing up in medieval vestments swimming with lace promoting traditional Roman Catholicism - and when not doing that are having sex and in saunas.

      All of us have failed sexually at times but we are not all of the mindset that enables us to be schitzophrenic about our sexuality and spirituality.

      The RC denomination insists on 100% celibacy for its clerics.

      Clerics need to stop pretending that they are living that.

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    2. Do you still hear Confessions Pat? If I came to you would I be absolved if they excommunicated you?

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    3. Two points:

      1. Pat did not destroy these young men’s vocations. They destroyed their own vocations by their immoral behaviour.

      2. Pat, you do yourselves no favours either with your blanket condemnation of the entire Catholic Church. That, in itself, is also dogged and irrational stupidity.

      You are demonising priests and lay faithful who are undeserving of your abuse.

      You need a rain check also and maybe curtail the excesses of the likes of “Magna Carta” too.

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    4. Thank you.

      I am only critical of the hierarchy and clergy who make up the institutionalized aspect of the Church.

      I also know there are many good priests and even better Catholic laity.

      But you must realise the organisation is in a very great mess?

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    5. “I think we need to be very careful about psychoanalysing people we have never met from a distance”.

      But Pat, that’s exactly what you do all the time! And it’s worse than that because - although some of the issues you raise are based on provable facts - other persons are the innocent victims of innuendo by yourself - and others who feed you false information and downright lies.

      Lies which you sometimes swallow whole and then publish!

      You yourself are guilty of injustices and bearing false witness. You are not omniscient and you are capable of putting two and two together and getting five! You are also eager to believe the false witness of others against innocent people which is very dangerous and unjust.

      You shoot yourself in the foot and any good you could have done has been negated by your own excesses.

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    6. Exposing the bitchy and hypocritical subcultures among the clergy is not psychoanalysis.

      It is shining light into dark places.

      Of course people with vested interests do not like that.

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    7. Pat, fair enough and we all know well the mess we are in. But even the “institutionalised” aspects of the Church can’t be written off in such a blanket fashion. It’s very unjust. Every aspect of human life needs some form of institutionalising and organising. Be more balanced and less sweeping.

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    8. 13.10: Pat - you too have a vested interest, thus your on-going nastiness and obsessive judging of those whom you consider to be flawed and imperfect, never imagining for a moment that you too are flawed and imperfect. We all have vested interests when we have agendas!! That's part of our flawed nature.

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  12. Is Sean Jones ordination going ahead tomorrow?

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  13. Patbyou should be heading the Dublin Pride Parade in full Episcopal Regalia. The othercdrag queens would envy you!

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  14. Congrats to Sean Jones. Jones was no saint and loved sniffing Poppers. Jones like Byrne had a selection of different strengths. Jones was mad for the potency of high endurance.

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    1. He’s a loss to the Growlr app. He owes me an apology as well.

      Rc_eire2016

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  15. 14.21: Pat, unless you know people intimately and closely or engage seriously with them, you can never know the "real" person. Some of us are straightforward and easily read, others are deeply complex. While we are not obliged to tolerate nonsensical, abusive and dangerous behaviour, we should also be circumspect and careful about "psychoanalysing" any person on gossip, misinformation or hearsay. All of us have hidden dimensions, all of us are different, have some little quirk in our personality and for this reason I'm cautious about broadsweeps which categorise and condemn one group, i.e: Catholic clergy as being devious miscreants. We can too easily get it wrong in our conclusive judgments based on unverifiable evidence. As others have commented today, sadly, Pat, you engage in withering "pseudo analysis" (not psychoanalysing) of many. Since you struggled much in your own life and have been hurt through conflicts, as I have been also, a little kindness and compassion would give you greater respect. I have been horrified at some of the language used about people on this blog and while I believe some criticisms are just and necessary, I don't condone the ugly and nasty vendettas against many clerics, especially in the delight and glee shown in ripping them to pieces. Shining lights into dark places is very commendable, but does this necessitate the ugliness of hate inciting language?

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    1. Anon at 15:56: While I can agree with you in principle I don't think +Pat is 'psychoanalysing '. He regularly castigates, ridicules and highlights the duplicity of the RC institution especially about sexual matters. Sometimes he is OTT but otherwise he does a good job. Just a pity more of the acquiescent laity are not better informed and less compliant

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    2. 17.30: I agree with you mostly about Pat but my point at 15.56 was just to be aware of the destructive nature of our language at times and that truth is better served by tolerance, fairness, respect and balance not vengance or hate, as is often the case with Pat. The blog invariably invites intolerable and unacceptable invective.

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    3. Anon at 18:41: Indeed it does invite........the kind of empty brained instinctively negative low lifes with nothing positive or instructive to contribute.
      Unfortunately we seem to have a few lurking around here!

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    4. Yes, 18:41.

      And not to mention pompous cant and bluster.

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    5. Anonymous “Magna Carta” at 21:38 - the majority of “pompous cant and bluster” coming from YOU.

      You’ve no self-critical ability at all have you?

      Delete
  16. Omg Stephen Wilson is at the Dublin Pride parade. The fella has the rainbow flag wrapped around his neck.

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    1. Oh really?? He must be able to bi-locate considering he’s in Lourdes!!!

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    2. Is that even true though? Would he be that stoopid? There would be pictures.

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    3. Prove it, if you can't then shush

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  17. Did anyone here the rumour that trump doesnt want gates in america something to do with gates reputation of being a bully,abuser,liar backstabber,and worst of all disgracing the collar that he shouldnt be wearing disgusting.

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  18. 18.47: How utterly idiotic of you. What trashy tabloid are you reading? Such a bizarre comment. You are an imbicile.

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    1. 20.24. Your words says it all about Fr.Gates then. I couldn't agree more with 18.47,s opinion which sums it up the behaviour Fr.Gates has done to majority of his Parish. He thinks he can bully an treat people like shit of his shoe. Open your eyes if you are not blind. Maybe Alcatraz would be the best place for Fr.Gates might get a job as the birdman. Would be best news all round. I give credit to 18.47,s comment. Well said.

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    2. Wonder is their room in Alcatraz for the birdman MC Eniffe Loughran along with Gates. I'm sure that little island would be suitable for them both. But then again there mighten be a football field for MC Eniffe.

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  19. Gates no show again this weekend. The curate Brannigan seems to be running the show. Is bully Gates packing his stuff up? Did you get his solicitors letter yet Pat for harassing him and mental abuse.

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    1. Maybe Gates is at the Dublin Pride Parade in his pink shirt. I wonder was MC Eniff there too.

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  20. Pat please stop the secret transfer of an Armagh seminarian to Rome.

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  21. Those whose careers have been ruined by you, +Pat, will thank you in the end. So don't feel bad about it... not in the slightest!

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  22. If the powers that be in our National Seminary are so ready, willing and able to stand over the formation provided to this man presenting for ordination tomorrow then who will be their representative at the ceremony?

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  23. Mick Collins aka the goon will represent Maynooth at the ordination.

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  24. Good news for a change,hot of the press mceniff and gates are getting hitched.isnt that wonderful @ guess who is going to be asked to officiate the ceremony bishop pat buckley.I hope they live happily ever after in america��������

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