By Philip Pullella

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Vatican officials will meet next week to decide the fate of disgraced former U.S. cardinal Theodore McCarrick over allegations of sexual abuse, Vatican sources said on Friday.
Vatican sources told Reuters last month that McCarrick will almost certainly be dismissed from the priesthood, which would make him the highest profile Roman Catholic figure to be defrocked in modern times.
Cardinal Luis Francisco Ladaria, head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), the Vatican department that will rule on the case, met Pope Francis on Thursday, according to a public Vatican schedule.
The Vatican did not say what was discussed but one source said it was likely that Ladaria briefed the pontiff on the final stages of the McCarrick case. The sources spoke on the condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to discuss the case.
Francis, who will have to sign off on any dismissal decision, wants the McCarrick case over before heads of national Catholic churches meet at the Vatican from Feb. 21-24 to discuss the global sexual abuse crisis, three Vatican sources told Reuters last month.
In July, McCarrick, 88, became the first Catholic prelate in nearly 100 years to lose the title of cardinal. The allegations against him date back to decades ago when he was still rising to the top of the U.S. Church hierarchy.
McCarrick, who rose to be a power broker in the American Church as Archbishop of Washington, D.C. from 2001 to 2006, is living in seclusion in a remote friary in Kansas.
He has responded publicly to only one of the allegations, saying he has “absolutely no recollection” of an alleged case of sexual abuse of a 16-year-old boy more than 50 years ago.
He has not responded publicly to separate allegations by several priests and ex-priests who have come forward alleging he used his authority to coerce them to sleep with him when they were adult seminarians studying for the priesthood.
McCarrick has already received one of the most severe punishments short of defrocking. When the pope accepted his resignation as cardinal last July, he also ordered him to refrain from public ministry and to live in seclusion, prayer and penitence.

The Vatican summit later this month offers a chance for Pope Francis to respond to criticism from victims of abuse that he has stumbled in his handling of the crisis and has not done enough to make bishops accountable..
Recently, the Church also has come under scrutiny over sexual abuse of nuns by priests and bishops. On Tuesday, Francis publicly acknowledged such abuse for the first time.
Speaking to reporters on the plane returning from a trip to Abu Dhabi, Francis used the term “sexual slavery”, but the Vatican later sought to clarify his remarks, saying in a statement that he meant “manipulation or a type of abuse of power that is reflected in sexual abuse.”
(Reporting By Philip Pullella; Editing by Frances Kerry)

PAT SAYS

McCarrick should be defrocked and thrown off church property.

But he should also go to jail.

A new section of canon law should be introduced mandating the defrocking and jailing of any cleric, of whatever rank, for sexual abuse or covering up sexual abuse.

Nothing else will suffice.

If Francis does not do this then he is an international criminal

Booze, cigars and a halo? Chesterton sainthood cause awaits approval
• CRUX Elise Harris Feb 7, 2019 SENIOR CORRESPONDENT

ROME – A leading scholar behind the push to advance the canonization of celebrated writer G.K. Chesterton has published a new book making a case for the sainthood of the “prolific” 20th century author, hitting back at critics who see him as unsuited for a halo.
Dale Ahlquist, president of the American Chesterton Society and the Society of Gilbert Keith Chesterton, in December 2018 published Knight of the Holy Ghost, which explores Chesterton’s life and writings and responds to arguments from those who say he was too fat, drank too much, smoked too much and harbored anti-Semitic sentiments.
In comments to Crux, Ahlquist said when people think of Chesterton, they often ask themselves, “How is it that a 300-pound cigar-smoking London journalist could be a saint? He doesn’t fit the image of a saint, because of his amazing size and that halo of smoke around his head.”
However, while the famed author might not fit the bill of pious saints of the past who prayed their way into heaven in monasteries and convents, he exhibited heroic humility, Ahlquist said. In his view, Chesterton was “a great genius who really had the ability to annihilate his opponents if he wanted to, but he always treated them with charity.”
“He always gave everyone the benefit of the doubt. He never flaunted his great genius, but he always made everyone feel better about themselves,” he said, and voiced hope that Chesterton’s cause for sainthood, which recently finished the initial stages, would soon move forward.
One of the best-known writers in the 20th century, Gilbert Keith Chesterton was born May 9, 1874, and died June 14, 1936. A convert to Catholicism, he was widely considered one of the most influential writers of his time.
While in the United States he is best known for his book Orthodoxy, a groundbreaking defense of Christianity, Chesterton is most famous in his homeland for his Father Brown series, a collection of short stories about a priest detective more dedicated to converting the criminals he catches than incarcerating them.
In 2013, Bishop Peter Doyle of Northampton ordered that an initial investigation into the possibility of Chesterton’s sainthood be opened and tapped Canon John Udris for the task.
Udris completed his preliminary investigation in the summer of 2018 and filed his final report with Doyle. According to Ahlquist, the next step would be for Doyle to approach the Vatican’s Congregation for the Causes of Saints for a nihil obstat, meaning a declaration that “nothing stands in the way” of the cause going forward.
Once that happens, a “petitioner,” meaning the one who formally asks for the cause to be opened, will be named and selects a postulator in charge of carrying the cause forward.
Ahlquist said he does not know whether any of these steps have yet been taken, but voiced hope that there will be fresh movement soon and that the Society of Gilbert Keith Chesterton would be chosen as the petitioner.
“We’re hoping it will be very soon,” he said, but said that in the meantime, devotion to Chesterton continues to grow not only in England, but internationally, with a large portion of devotees coming from the United States, Italy, Croatia, Brazil and Argentina.
One on the main intentions people ask Chesterton’s intercession for is fertility, Ahlquist said, noting that Chesterton and his wife Frances were unable to have children. Other people ask for healing, he said, noting that there have already been potential cases of healings brought forward that could be presented as potential miracles later in the sainthood process.
The main stumbling blocks, he said, are accusations of anti-Semitism and a lack of temperance, as Chesterton was a large man who smoked and drank a lot, and who died after the Nazi party had already risen to power in Germany but before the Holocaust.
Calling Chesterton anti-Semitic is “a very tragic portrayal, because it’s simply not true,” Ahlquist said, and insisted that despite Chesterton’s size, he was no glutton. Rather, he said, most accounts of Chesterton’s life suggest that he ate little, meaning he likely had a glandular condition that caused him to gain weight.
“As for his drinking, it was all very convivial, he wasn’t a solitary drinker, he wasn’t a drunk, but he defended drinking at the time of prohibition,” Ahlquist said, adding that this last detail “has to be remembered, he was fighting against the puritans.”
In Ahlquist’s view, Chesterton was “prophetic” in his writings, speaking to a modern crisis in politics, education, economics and the at-times troubled relationship between family and state, despite having died nearly 100 years ago.
“He really had a handle on a Catholic interpretation of the modern world. The other thing is that he really

PAT SAYS

What is this rush to create saints all about.

Is is about trying to turn men into gods?

There are some people like Francis of Assisi who made a profound impact on the world.

Most people are a mixture of good and bad.

The rush to make John Paul 11 and Mother Teresa saints was obscene politicking.

Let G K Chesterson be remembered as a great of literature.

We don’t need another another upper class saint, booze anf cigars apary.

A Dublin priest contributor to this blog, who comments under the name BRUNO has raised concerns about the Meath Diocese hermit priest Father David Jones.

He raises these concerns after watching the hermit’s many contributions on his own YouTube channel.

These films have titles such as

TIME IN FRANCE – TRAPPISTS, CARTHUSIANS AND NORBERTINES.

TIME IN THE USA – CAMALOLDESE AND CARTHUSIANS.

TIME IN THE UK – AMPLEFORTH AND PRINKISH.

TIME IN ITALY – NORBERTINES AND CAMSOLDESE.

TIME IN IRELAND – ROSCREA AND KILNACROTT.

TIME IN FRANCE – CISTERCIANS, NORBERTINES AND LA GRANDE TRAPE.

Apparently he also tried to de a diocesan hermit in the Diocese of Wrexham in Wales. The bishop refused.

On his videos he talks a lot about perpetual silence and seclusion – yet he is all over YouTube and is seen out shopping at least three times a week and driving a car.

Bruno wonders why has he been in so many monasteries in so many countries.

Especially since monks make a fourth vow of STABILITY – meaning to stay in the one place.

Bruno calls out attention to his video on Italy where he says he gave a girl the kiss of peace on the lips because she asked for it!

Bruno wonders if the Meath Safeguarding Office has checked him out as he often says Mass with boys and even has boys serving him in the hermitage.

CARDINAL DALY

Bruno also brings up the question of David’s conversation with Cahal Daly advising him to stay away from Kilnacrott till the mess dies down.

Of course it was Daly who had dealings with the Norbertine Abbot General in Rome about Smyth.

Daly knew all about Smyth for a long time before the rest of us did.

Bruno also wonders who pays for the professional videos that appear on YouTube?

Bruno wonders who “manages” Jones’ activities in the Diocese of Meath?

PAT SAYS:

I must say that Father “Bruno” makes many valid points and asks many valid questions.

It seems to be that Jones has been from pillar to post all over the world.

What is at the heart of all this moving and instability?

Are we dealing with personality disorders or mental health issues?

FATHER JONES HAVING A TELEPHONE CONVERSATION ABOUT EVIL SPIRITS

Pope admits clerical abuse of nuns including sexual slavery

Catholic Herald

Pope Francis made the admission while visiting the Middle East
Pope Francis has admitted that clerics have sexually abused nuns, and in one case they were kept as sex slaves.
He said in that case his predecessor, Pope Benedict, was forced to shut down an entire congregation of nuns who were being abused by priests.
It is thought to be the first time that Pope Francis has acknowledged the sexual abuse of nuns by the clergy.
He said the Church was attempting to address the problem but said it was “still going on”.

Pope Francis made the comments on Tuesday to reporters while on a historic tour of the Middle East.
He admitted that priests and bishops had abused nuns, but said the Church was aware of the issue and “working on it”.
“It’s a path that we’ve been on,” he said.
“Pope Benedict had the courage to dissolve a female congregation which was at a certain level, because this slavery of women had entered it – slavery, even to the point of sexual slavery – on the part of clerics or the founder.”
Alessandro Gisotti of the Vatican press office later told CBS News that the order in question had been based in France.
Pope Francis said sexual abuse of nuns was an ongoing problem but happened largely in “certain congregations, predominantly new ones”.
Last November, the Catholic Church’s global organisation for nuns denounced the “culture of silence and secrecy” that prevented them from speaking out.
Just days ago the Vatican’s women’s magazine, Women Church World, condemned the abuse,saying in some cases nuns were forced to abort priests’ children – something Catholicism forbids.
The magazine said the #MeToo movement meant more women were now coming forward with their stories.

PAT SAYS

Francis is only acknowledging a truth we all know.

How can Francis sleep at night knowing about all the abuse and corruption he knows about?

Pope Francis signs peace declaration on ‘Human Fraternity’ with Grand Imam

I INTERUPTED MY BLOG ABOUT MY TRIP TO KERRY AND CLOYNE TO PUBLISH A BLOG ABOUT FATHER GRAHAM COLBY RIP.
I now return to Part 11 of my Kerry/Cloyne trip.
My principle reason for going to Kerry was to celebrate a wedding for the Travelling Community.
That wedding took place on Friday, February 1st in the Parish of Tarbert.
One particular feature of this wedding – and indeed of most Traveller’s wedding is the exotic dress worn by the main participants.

---

THE SITUATIONS IN THE DIOCESES OF KERRY AND CLOYNE

It has been common knowledge among clergy and on this blog that most Irish dioceses now have an increasing number of priests not observing celibacy – some with women and most with men.

It appears that Armagh is particular rampant with gay priests on apps like Grindr and others involved with other priests and laymen.

Armagh has had Rory Coyle, Eugene McCamley etc – and there are others like the youngish priest who came on to the farmer’s son at WYD.

Down and Connor is bad too with gay priests active on the A1 motorway and hanging around toilets in the North West.

Meath has its fair share too – with truck stop priests and others at WYD.

My impression is that Kerry and Cloyne is as bad as any of them – with Cloyne being the very worst.

Cloyne produced the sex on the altar with a seminarian Lomansey.

It also has the older priest living in his presbytery the Eastern European youth.

I’m reliably informed that Cloyne has a whole nasty nest of actively gay priests of all ages and this nest consists of very nasty and aggressive men who are well known to the bishop, Crean, and to the rest of the priests.

The stories of these men will continue to emerge and become public.

Kerry has its King Puck and a number of others – but Kerry does not seem as bad as Cloyne.

And of course Ray Brown is as useless as tits on a bull – and increasingly he is becoming disliked by the priests over his domineering manner.

Of course there is a whole other story in Dublin where Diarmuid Coddle Martin is ignoring things – and in his own way contributing to them.

The Catholic hierarchy and clergy tortured the rest of us about sex for decades and centuries.

There are now falling apart themselves – and at the centre of their collapse is rampant homosexual sex.

Its fitting that the weapon they used on us is now the weapon that is destroying them.

I have made many more friends in Kerry and Cloyne on my recent trip and they promise to keep me abreast of ongoing and upcoming scandals.

————————-

FATHER GRAHAM COLBY OF THE ORATORY WAS BURIED YESTERDAY AFTER 12 NOON MASS AT THE ORATORY IN LARNE.

PAT’S HOMILY

“Many funerals are celebrated by priests and ministers who did not know the deceased when they lived.

That can lead to the celebrating priest or minister painting a very unrealistic picture of the departed person.

That is not happening today. I knew Father Graham for 20 years and he has lived  near me in Larne for 15 of those years.

Most of Graham’s friends had a love/no love lost relationship with him. And t hat was he and I too.

Our relationship was a mixture of warmth and frustration.

Graham was born in the South of England. He parents were very aloof and they gave Graham the impression that was not as good and others – which gave him a feeling of inferiority and a fear of groups of people.

This left him feeling rejected, hurt and at times angry and lonely. 

He was born into the Church of England but very early felt called to the Catholic Church and so he converted. Steadily he felt called to priesthood and having a great love for tradition and the Latin Mass he joined the Society of St. Pius X at Econe in Switzerland. He loved the rebel archbishop Marcel Lefebvre.

Eventually he moved to a French archdiocese and later returned to England where was ordained by an independent catholic bishop.

In the early 2000’s he found himself without a bishop and appealed to me to adopt him – and I did. He joined The Oratory Society in 2004.

Graham would have been a perfect candidate for one of those TV shows about hoarders who fill their homes with attractive and unattractive bric-a-bac. 

Those who involved in his two most moves knew to our cost, the amount of clutter he had collected over the past 50 or 60 years. 

Because of his childhood experienced very severe anxiety condition and also a very debilitating essential tremor. He also developed a social phobia.

He tried handling these conditions with copious betablockers which did his heart no good. He also developed an addiction to what Ian Paisley used to call the Devil’s Buttermilk. And that became a very big problem.

Last year I spent a solid 6 months driving Graham to all kinds of doctors and counsellor. Eventually we arrived at the day before he was due to go into hospital for detox and rerhab. We had one last appointment that day with a consultant who told him that the treatment would cost £20,000 and therefore he asked Graham to declare that he would make a very serious effort to decide not to drink again. In his posh English accent Graham replied

ARE YOU ONE OF THOSE PESKY TEMPERANCE SPOIL SPORTS THAT WOULD DEPRIVE A MAN OF A GLASS OF WINE ON CHRISTMAS DAY”?

We were both quickly ushered out of the doctor’s office – and that was the end of detox and rehab.

There was no detox or rehab and so it was back to cider soup.

Many people were very good to Graham.

There was Brother Jim – a fellow Little Brother – who cooked for him, did his laundry and was at his beck and call night and day. It started off well but Graham’s demands became impossible and there was a divorce.

There was his ex army chum – Colin – an army cooked who made him many nice dinners. But that relationship was choppy too.

There were Carole and Kevin who had him in their home and visited him in hospital.

There was Alison – the supervisor of the fold we got him into some time ago.

There was Angela who cleaned and shopped for him.

And then there was Father Paul – an Oratory priest – who visited him regularly – listened patiently to his woes and who washed his laundry.

Life throws up all kinds of problems in our paths. Often we find solutions. But some problems have no human solutions.

And that’s when Doctor God steps in!

Graham had finally run out of options and solutions and God said: “Big Fella, its time you came home to me”.

That happened at 2 am last Friday morning when Graham, already unconscious simply stopped breathing.

He heart and liver had failed.

St Augustin said

” OUR HEARTS WERE MADE FOR YOU O LORD AND WE SHALL NEVER FIND REST UNTIL WE REST IN YOU!

Graham is finally at rest – no anxiety – no essential tremor.

And for that today we say” 

THANKS BE TO GOD.

 

 

 

AS SOME READERS WILL KNOW I SPENT FROM THURSDAY UNTIL SATURDAY IN TRALEE, KERRY – THE PARISH IN WHICH KING PUCK (AKA FATHER SEAN JONES) WAS APPOINTED CURATE.

In spite of a lot of pressure not to the bishop of Kerry – a certain Ray Browne – ordained King Puck – who had a certain reputation in Maynooth.

We met several people who now know King Puck – one being the choir mistress of the parish Chamber Choir – Martina.

Martina – who also works in Cassidy’s Restaurant in Tralee served us a beautiful meal there on Friday evening.

By the way, if you are ever in Tralee the two best eateries are Cassidys and Bella Bia. Lovely food, great staff and very reasonably priced.

King Puck joined the Chamber Choir as a singer last week.

On Friday evening we joined Tim Landers – the Tralee native who is a well known Irish actor – having had parts in FAIR CITY and GAME OF THRONES.

We joined Tim for a drink in Paddy Macs pub in Tralee.

SHORT BLOG TODAY

My blog today is a bit short as I have the funeral of a priest of The Oratory Society, today, Sunday in Larne – Father Graham Colby.

I’ll tell you about Father Colby on Tuesday.

Tomorrow – Part 11 of the Tralee blog.

A DUBLIN PRIEST HAS REVEALED THAT GORGEOUS IS IN TRAINING TO BE A CHAPLAIN IN A DUBLIN HOSPITAL.

His training course took place in the St. John of God psychiatric hospital in Dublin.

The plan for Gorgeous seems to have him as a deacon chaplain at first and if all goes well to ordain him a priest at a later stage.

The Dublin priest wrote:

“REVEREND MR GORGEOUS

Google acpeirland.com cpe news.

See photo of Dec 3 2018 graduation at St. John of God Hospital Stillorgan.

The Rev Mr now has to take this certificate of cpe and portfolio of studies/practice as a trainee hospital chaplain to be interviewed by the RC committee of the Association of Clinical Pastoral Education Ireland Ltd – a self selected organisation that decides who is qualified to be a hospital chaplain’

This committee operates under the bishop’s conference – so Gorgeous will get a very well paid chaplaincy post – vacancy at St. Vincent’s Elm Park where his old cathedral chum has been demoted to – all pension, tax, generous car mileage etc.

He can play deaconate dress up or dress down when at work.

And then be priested and take a pay cut !! when Bishop Farrell – Cardinal Farrell’s brother – returns to Dublin as short term metropolitan tasked to reorganise the Irish dioceses to 17 which the bishops have been bold enough not to implement.

Will Coddles secretary be going to Rome as well?

Genuine Homo Macho Dom”

PAT SAYS:

I think that Dermo has given us all a run around the park.

We were led to believe that Gorgeous; ecclesiastical career had ended.

Then we find him living in an empty Dublin presbytery.

We were led to believe that he had joined the Gardaí and was pursuing other careers.

Now we find out that he is still a deacon, still living in the presbytery, being sent to train as a hospital chaplain and to be appointed a chaplain, possible in Elm Park – where his old chum from the Pro Cathedral is also a chaplain.

And then that bishop/archbishop Farrell may ordain him a priest.

As yes indeed, the clerical and episcopal clique look after each other well.

Play the game, and no matter what, they have your back.

Do them special “favours” and you’re on the the pig’s back for life.

Jesus wept!