Categories
Uncategorized

THE CRISIS IN THE CHURCH IS, AT HEART, A SPIRITUAL CRISIS.

THE CORRUPTION AND ABUSE WE SEE IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH ARE SYMPTOMS OF A DEEPER CRISIS.

THAT DEEPER CRISIS IS A SPIRITUAL CRISIS.

THE KERNAL OF THAT CRISIS IS THAT POPE’S, CARDINALS, BISHOPS, PRIESTS AND RELIGIOUS DO NOT BELIEVE AND DO NOT PRAY.

How long is it since you popped into your local church and found the parish priest or curate praying before the Tabernacle?

How long is it since you went into your cathedral and found the Bishop or archbishop in private prayer?

How long is it since you were walking past a church or cathedral and spotted the priest or bishop walking around the grounds reading his Breviary?

How long is it since you saw a priest or religious on a bus fingerings a Rosary beads?

How long is it since you saw a Bishop or priest in the Confessional queue?

A priest who truly believes and prays does not give into a desire to have sex with a child!

A Bishop who truly believes and prays does not cover up child abuse and refuse to meet victims!

A seminarians who truly believes and prays does not have promiscuous sex with fellow seminarians!

A priest who truly believes and prays does not have sex on an altar with a seminarian!

A priest or religious who truly believes and prays does not go to saunas.

A priest who truly believes and prays does not show his genetalia on social media!

A bishop who truly believes and prays does not issue a press statement that lies about a missing priest.

A priest who truly believes and prays does not make a parishioner pregnant and go out for dinner and drinks while the parishioner is having a miscarriage in her bathroom!

A bishop who truly believes and prays does not spend millions on his house!

A priest who truly believes and prays does not bully parishioners and fellow clergy!

A bishop or priest who truly believes and prays does not regard himself superior to anyone but thinks and acts like a servant of all!

A Bishop who truly believes and prays does not have favourites who he promotes and non favourites who he dumps on!

A pope, bishop or priest who truly believes and prays does not call any person or group seriously disordered!

A bishop or priest who truly believes and prays does not abuse or rape nuns!

Don’t get me wrong. We all have all kinds of temptations, desires and sin in our lives. We are the frailest of the frail.

But when we truly believe and pray we can have the grace and strength to say NO to what is wrong and YES to what is right.

Being able to say NO to oneself is an ability that comes from a very strong Gospel based faith in God and Jesus and the practice of strong daily prayer – even, and especially when we find prayer difficult or – let’s call it as it is – tedious and boring.

Sadly many bishops and priests are either atheists or cynical agnostics.

I have had the experience of travelling in a car with a priest and asking him to read Morning or Evening prayer for me – and the priest refusing.

I have listened to priests telling me they were atheists and are staying in the priesthood because they have no other option.

How can a man like that communicate a sincere spirituality to others?

Nemo dat quod non habet. You cannot give what to do not have.

This has all come about because men, over the centuries, have taken the Kingdom of God that Jesus left and turned it in to a worldwide international conglomerate. Roman Catholic Incorporated.

Jesus promised that He would never abandon the church.

But He never promised that the church would not abandon Him!

When we cease to believe passionately and put that passionate belief into daily action, we abandon Jesus Christ.

When we cease to pray tirelessly and simply become institutional operatives we abandon Jesus Christ.

And that’s why the crisis in the Church is at root, a spiritual crisis – a loss of Gospel centred faith and a loss of perseverance in prayer.

One time an Irish Bishop went to give a talk to his seminarians in Maynooth. At the end of the talk he said:

“Gentlemen, as a prelate of the church I have the privilege of having a private Chapel in my house. Mine is next to my bedroom. Before going to bed every night I pop into the chapel, stand before the tabernacle and say” Goodnight Sweet Jesus. And a little voice answers from the tabernacle ‘Goodnight, My Lord”.

89 replies on “THE CRISIS IN THE CHURCH IS, AT HEART, A SPIRITUAL CRISIS.”

I don’t accept your rather patronising and simplistic analysis. You make it look like all clerics, apart from you, Pat, are doomed, that they are non believers, opportunists, wolves in sheep’s clothing, layabout etc….the usual narrative you trot out at midnight. This is a very shallow essay. You cannot ever speak about all clerics in one broad sweep. Prayer is essential to any priest’s life. The fact that they mighn’t be seen in their Church doesn’t mean they’re prayerless. You, Pat, do not inspire me ever in your self serving interpretation of the malaise in the Church. If you have the answers, if you believe yourself to be a prophet and that your way is THE WAY, why isn’t the nation on fire with gospel life, hope and renewal? Why isn’t there an overflowing congregation at Larne? All the priests i’ve wirked with and known over 40 years have mostly been very commendable human beings, men who quietly inspired by prayer, commitment and good work. I look back yo the 80’s and I was Blessed to work with some wonderfully, vibrant priests and religious who initiated many laity programmes for renewal in parishes. Their quiet, visionary ways, determinatiin and prayer /gospel based visions were powerful and a great witness for me. From 198l – 88 a dynamic nun catechised and evangelist hundreds of young people in those years. It was a joy to witness. Pat, life back then was easier with 4/5/6 priest’s in parishes. Now we are just 1 and have no religious anymore. Thosd of us who work in parishes do our best but thst obviously isn’t enough for you. And let me remind you, O Great pharisee, when I pray, I go, as Jesus said, to my quiet room…: when I fast I go to my quiet room…people will perceive our sincerity or not irrespective of where we choose to pray or where we choose to hold the rosary beads. You make far too many assumptions about the rest of us “lost” and “strayed” ones…But somehow I prefer the honesty of searching for faith, praying with my community, being honest with them about struggles, possibilities and trueefforts lived in day to day life. My feet are firmly on the Ground Pat, as are those of many, many priests and bishops. We just don’t boast about it. But judging my work against your is like being judged by an axe wielding butcher: everything is sliced away, even good names and reputations. So, give me JESUS any time rather than that sanctimonious waffle you’ve just written.

Like

I think I touched a sore point with you.
All the priests you met were saints 🙂
Saint Brendan Smyth pray for us.

Like

Pat what a trite reply – that was not what the poster at 1.00am was saying. But then that just shows how blind you are.

Like

9.14: Only a thick plonker would make that kind of stupid response. Absolutely stupid and supercilious – and utterly ignorant.

Like

The Maynooth Seminarian exposed for receiving oral sex on the Alter is under the protection and influence of Rev.Fr. Michael Mullaney. The Seminarian inquestion is implicated in a sexual abuse cover up of abusing a lay adult music student. The Lay Organ Scholar recived compensation from Hughie Connolly, free accomdation in North Campus and a Music Scholarship.

Like

1.49 so are you hallegging the whole thing was a scam to get funds or ya can do what ya like if ya pay for it hi

Like

Bishop Buckley did you ever meet Fr Mullaney in person. Fr Mullaney in one famous rector’s talk called you a fake BIshop .

Like

3.40: And wasn’t Mullaney very perceptive and intelligent!! An honest statement. Fakery at its worst….

Like

The church needs prayer like a car needs petrol. If we don’t go to the well we can’t water the garden. To refer to someone as pious.. is the worst insult. I don’t think the priests have been taught to pray deeply. They have not been taught how to find God. If you don’t let yourself be loved you cannot pass it on to others. God’s language is deep silence but the world is too noisy. God has been pushed to the margins. The church has to go home, back to the one who loves it most.

Like

Many are just bone idle, Bp Pat, and would prefer to be online instead of praying, or better still down at the nearest sauna (or the gents for a quickie). There are just too many distractions/opportunities for the pulpit fruits nowadays.

Like

7.59: More crappy commentary. Take that brain frim your backsude, you imbicilic plonker….what is your great solution and remedy? Zilch. With this comment you seem stuck in prepubescent mode…..grow up.

Like

That story was not a bishop visiting Maynooth but was told of Bishop Cashman of Arundel and Brighton speaking to the seminarians at Wonersh.

Like

I take it then – and certainly hope – that was an example of the famous English sense of humour rather than a model of prayer. Cashman was another useless bishop who shut down discussion after Humanae Vitae in 1968, and we have been on the run from truthfulness in the Church ever since. This is not just banging the same old drum – that accusation is simply a demand for cover up and avoidance, I’m sure Dr John Bollan has many qualities so please would he just open up! John Keenan in Paisley would be a disaster in Glasgow. He promoted Courage in his diocese which is the kind of baloney priests like John Bollan could usefully oppose, otherwise the same dysfunctional dynamic of saying one thing and doing another is perpetuated in Church life. And YES we have heard it all before- that is precisely the problem.

Like

Hi sure that’s the small and the tall of it hi. I’ve been saying this for years in words both straight and twisted. So youz with finger hands and wills what are ye doin but

Like

Few questions:
Is Roman Catholic church a cult?
Why call Roman catholic just beuase Peter was never in Rome despite his bones?
Saw a website saying Vatican is a whore of babylon???
is that some pure trash re this -http://www.end-times-prophecy.org/the-whore-of-babylon.html??
Im just questioning Roman catholic church as regards to their claim.
DU.

Like

8.57 I don’t think it’s a cult but it does seem to have become a dressing up affair with a sub culture of clerical lifestyle to fill the spaces Semi Masonic nods n winks n all hi

Like

Of course, longtime readers will know who you mean, Bp Pat. I note, with one exception, they’re all… well, you know.

Like

The analysis today +Pat is spot on. The crisis today in the church today is corruption,greed self serving clerics and abuse of power. All contrary to the teachings of Jesus Christ. When the rock of the church is replaced by sand it will surely collapse. People deserve better

Like

I can understand a secular priest not being very good at prayer. He may be an excellent social worker….. but… whatever happened to the Benedictines!!!

Like

Re our hopefully forthcoming Scotland day, can anybody tell us what relations were like between Winning and KOB?

Like

cardinal Thomas joseph Winning was a gentleman and went around his diocese with three able assisted auxiliary Bishops The late Donny Renfrew, The Late John Mone and Joe Devine.
Cardinal Winning was always out in the Cathedral precinct speaking to people unlike Conti and Tartaglia.
KOB was an Archbishop and they just had respect for each other.
Cardinal Winning would be disgusted with KOB and the Scottish Bishops now and certainly Cardinal Winning and Tartaglia did not get on.

Like

Thanks for the observations, Stephen. Would it be pushing it to ask why Winning and Tartaglia did not get on?

Like

An excellent blog, Bishop P. . Too insightful (and too close to the bone) for some clerics, I should expect.
I should add just one (no: two) things: scrap that idolatrous vow of episcopal obedience at ordination, AND the promise that all bishops make to uphold canon law.
Personal conscience must be primal.

Like

Question here –

One person posted his comment:

“Any Catholic who rejects a sitting pope severs himself or herself from the church”.

Is that correct or not cos I am not well versed with Roman Catholic church rule or law?

If that is the case, it would imply that RCC (Roman Catholic church) is a cult?????

Dear user (DU).

Like

There is an element of truth in Fr Pat blog above. Not every priest or bishop or cardinal don’t pray at all. There are some priests who do pray as I have seen one curate in parish some 25 years ago prayed his breviary in his car before he came to our house.

There is some element of truth re some bishops ( not all bishops mind you),who don’t believe in JC (Jesus Christ) and how did they GET that job of a bishop. Mind boggles.

After reading all the comments in the past few months, I came to realise that some gay people view it a lifestyle job in order to cover their sexuality. Also a careerist as well cos they don’t see jesus alive or present in the Eucharist more like empty. They don’t think of Jesus just their job as a priest and their future aspirations ( careerist).

Any priest who ought to be focus on Jesus itself not the lifestyle or future promotions.

But the RC church look dead in the water with some flickering spirit.

DU.

Like

I hope you are proud of yourself with the lies you tell, defaming peoples characters at a whim with no evidence. I was going to ask “how do you sleep at night?” but judging by the multiple attacks at (1.49, 2.09, 2,34, 3.40) on multiple persons, it is very clear to me WHY you can’t sleep at night. This may be caused by guilt, shame, anger or alcohol. It is clear to me anyway that you are lacking maturity especially emotional maturity.
You have a problem with Byrne, Wilson and Mullaney amongst many others that you once called “friends” in Maynooth. If you have evidence of wrongdoing by all means bring that forward. My guess is you are just being a vicious troll because you have a lot of hate in your heart. It is actully very sad and pathetic. I pray that you find healing one day.
Also I want to wish you good luck with your new journalism career. Always remember that it was YOU who made certain “choices” in Maynooth which led to YOU being asked to leave. It is your fault and yours alone. Live with it and stop taking it out on others…especially old friends.
God Bless.

Like

It is a beauteous evening, calm and free,
The holy time is quiet as a Priest (Nun)
Breathless with adoration;
— (sic …et nun)!

Like

1112. What utter rubbish. Who are the Bishops you clearly have knowledge of who don’t believe in Christ? Name them and provide evidence and your full name instead of gossiping. Hiding behind an anonymous identity is cowardly. May our Lord have pity on your soul on the day of judgement.

Like

There are some bishops out there who believe in JC and NOT. How can you tell that ALL bishops really believe in JC??

same can be said for bishops who are gay and NOT. How can you tell if bishops are gay or not in closet lifestyle away from the prying eyes.

From your time in yr comments you very dogmatic and arrogant know it all. Give me a break.

Like

I think people can still believe In Christ and still be gay, less double lives, be nasty etc.

Like

I really don’t know why the chirpers have any problems with this blog’s critiques of the Catholic Church. They are mild and to the point.
Now, if your ever present chirpers want something to lament about they need only find the letter in 2014 by two Greek bishops to Pope Francis. I’ve never seen anything quite like that. Indeed I didn’t have the stamina to wade through the entire letter, and the words of Dom Gueranger about the prolixity of the Greeks were ever in my thoughts. It must have been written by underlings because I can’t imagine bishops having time to write at such length.
The letter can be found on the very conservative Orthodox information site and probably elsewhere.
Tolle et lege, It makes this blog look like the beloved Messenger of The Sacred Heart from days gone by. Even the chirpers on this blog look like sweethearts when compared to these two Graeci.

Like

Pope Francis would be happy to have you to work for him cos he’s known as a dictator pope.
Your arrogant and dogmatic communication would serve him and yourself well when it comes to broadcasting and communication. That said, it would turn off loads of Catholics big time cos they don’t tend to question pope and yourself as their press spokesman- passive Catholics.
My advice to you is to apply for a job in the Vatican especially dogma tic aspect. Pope Francis would welcome you with open arms.
Deaf user (DU).

Like

Known as a dictator, DU? That’s a very interesting comment, wherever you found it. For two reasons:
1. The synods he presided over were exercises in genuine consensus searching – as was the commission on women and diaconate – and unlike those of very recent pontificates where the findings were, as a matter of course, printed before the delegates had arrived.
2. The Bishop of Rome possesses the fullness of authority equal to that possessed by a General Council in communion with the Pope.

Like

I suspect some priests enter the church with great hope and faith. Unfortunately the reality of the clerical culture gradually erodes it. I have heard it said that the faith is mainly in the laity.

Like

The truth will set Stephen Wilson Free even if the truth is revolting. The truth of Sauna Babylonia and Stamullen will set Stephen Wilson Free .

Like

2:30 whoever you are, what you write here, naming someone while you remain unnamed is revolting and cowardly. Whatever you believe the person you named has done to you, there are mature, moral and Christian ways of resolving your differences. I speak for myself in this, but I find your comments sickening.

Like

Pat. Allowing comments like this is despicable. What aren’t you moderating these out? Makes a mockery of your blog.

Like

1.43: Quelle surprise… Really -with all your life’s experiences….Really. Don’t believe you. You have been around the block too many times Pat!!!!

Like

Pat
Did you remove the comment referring to MB?
Thank you! It is good to see you take a stand with regard to the bullying of this young man on this blog by malicious entities who provide nothing but slanderous allegations over and over and no substance. Again, thank you.
God Bless.

Like

I did. At the very beginning of the MB saga I offered to drive to Dublin to meet him to hear his side to the whole Maynooth saga

He never took me up on that offer.

Like

I was told he was advised not to speak to you by his superiors. Also the numerous blogs you did on him may have not helped on your part to “build trust”.

Like

I wish you’d remove all the other malicious comments.
Pat, why do you continuously allow anonymous commenters to bully, harass and defame named individuals on this blog?

Like

Why would he? what had it got to do with you? why were you offering to drive to Dublin to meet a private citizen about his sexuality?

Like

He was ordained into the RC church and became a person of public interest. There was a massive scandal going on in which he was implicated. It was and is a serious matter of public interest.

Like

By Post Author

4.23: Go back to your “prayers” you nosey, queenie Trollope. You should mind your own business. You are a moral reprobate yourself! You are not a virtuous man. You heap misery on others in a way that betrays Christ – the ONE whose memory you once promised to keep SACRED. Remember those days……not that you succeeded. Now, you are Lucifer in disguise with bitterness, vengeance, pride, arrogance….A man who never grows up and who, in assuming a morally superior attitude, seeks to destroy others in behaviour that is totally anathema to CHRIST.

Like

4.23: Whonin their rght mind would talk to you – A Judas type! You only want info so that you can abuse others with it. You are a contemptible person. Not a nice human being spending your daily life seeking vengeance. You cause division and hatred through your words. You bring out the worst that any human being possesses. You are just a nasty piece.

Like

@1.49am did we ever find out who was the Maynooth seminarian that received oral sex on the altar in Cork? Lucky fellow whoever he is……Mick Lomansey is one hot daddy.

Like

8.51: Probably a little harsh but it’s often unavoidable to make such comments about Pat since he makes some horrendous judgments about others. He seems to have a particular hatred for his firmer Church Presbyterate. We need constructive, positive debate and dialogue about the Catholic Church but not in the atmosphere of gossip, innuendo, nastiness, judgment and speculation which this blog encourages. When any induvidual fails morally, pastorally and spiritually in a monumental way, as some clerics have, is it right to engage in further humiliating and condemning that person? I believe in letting the civil law exact justice not the lynch mob of this blog.

Like

Pat, the question about the spiritual malaise at the heart of the Church is certainly not remedied by your hatred, vengeance and petulant, vindictive shit! You have no remedy: No vision for you are neither poet nor prophet: You are a hate monger….you do not preach Christ. You preach rather Pat’s gospel of shaming, hating, judging, condemning.

Like

Pat is a bully. He holds all the power on this blog. He chooses what to publish and what to filter out. This power differential allows him (and his cowardly anonymous comments) to bully, harass and destroy the reputations of others.

Like

Bishop pat allows comments that are very critical of him and his work, your comment is groundless and makes you look a bit silly to be honest
I believe pats motives are honourable and he does a great service to this country in revealing what really going on, parishioners in cloyne are grateful for him lifting the lid on the nests if promiscuous practising homosexuals so prevalent in the diocess .
Keep it up Bishop Pat,

Like

The remedy I proposed was FAITH AND PRAYER.
You disagree with that remedy?
Then you are one of one’s I was writing about and you didn’t like being called out?

Like

6.26: Mr. Knowall! A disgusting judgment in a good man. He doesn’t need your despicable discouragement – you creep.

Like

He said our Leavers Mass last Friday. He had the whole chapel laughing and in tears with his homily. Absolutely brilliant. Came into the canteen after and talked away to everyone. Never looks for praise and has an incredibly difficult job.

Like

The New Mass isn’t a prayer it’s the supper of the Lord across a table , the assembly are led by the presider, they are feed with the word then the bread and the cup, it’s not the unbloody sacrifice renewed sacramentally no one belives that and if they do how when it hasn’t been taught for fifty years, the priesthood is not a vocation it is a ministry that’s all so why bother praying ? The tabernacle isn’t even supposed to be anywhere near the table of the supper anyway so why would anyone be praying there? As for the rosary you will never see a priest holding one , do you think they say the Angelus or even have a statue in their houses ? Not in England you can spot the presbytery by the sky satellite dish, the big car and inside the big tv, the wine cellar and the over filled fridge. It’s not their fault , the Church or rather the People of God has changed how could they be following a template of priesthood when that’s no longer what the Church says it wants ?

Like

7.14: What a gross injustice. Try and write more correctly and articulately. This is indecepherable nonsense. You may require a teacher to help you to understand more intelligently. After that, try to be grown up.

Like

Pat, I posed a question earlier to you and I’d be interested in your answer. What would you do/say to one of your Oratory members if he/she was convicted of serious actions, or were found engaging in inappropriate behaviour and given a custodial sentence? What would your “faith and prayer” recommend? Can you enlighten us? I ask these questions because of your harsh, unforgiving, deathly and condemnatory attitude towards many (priests and bishops partucularly) in such sutuations…. Can we expect an honest answer?

Like

Pat, just reading your blog this moment. I find it amazing how few posters have responded constructively to the blog piece today. You gave everybody a unique chance to discuss very important things. And I feel that most responses justify your words.

Like

11.06: Not at all an adequate response. Dismissal is fine – but would you allow a further humiliation, condemnation and onslaught be waged against such a person, in the manber in which we witness frequently on your blog? I would hope that we would not witness such poison. While we feel anger, hurt and betrayal, civil law alone should exact proper justice. And I’m sure you would follow Christ’s command to visit the prisoner…. Thank you….

Like

The Maynooth rabbit room also known as the revolving door room is no longer in existence. Wilson has made a turing point in his life, Aversion therapy.

Like

The movie is One Night in the Maynooth. It’s totally different from One Night in Paris movie with Paris Hilton.

Like

Leave a comment