Month: May 2020

FATHER DAVID MARSDEN SCJ

Father Marsden’s Open Letter To UK Bishops…

Dear Bishops,

Like countless faithful Catholics around the world, I am sure many of you have been shocked and sickened by the recent scandals committed by the former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick. Further suffering is being inflicted by the silence of other cardinals and bishops who knew about his behavior and said nothing — and indeed continue to say nothing. In light of the explosive report by Archbishop Viganò, it becomes even more apparent that the homosexual cabal operating in the Catholic Church exists at the very highest level and even incriminates Pope Francis himself.

I hope and pray that the action of the Holy Spirit is now beginning to purify the hierarchy by exposing the evil committed by homosexual clergy around the world. I feel it is my duty to now inform you and faithful Catholics that the homosexual collective within the hierarchy which enabled McCarrick to function in an unobstructed manner is still alive and well today in the Catholic Church in England and Wales.

Towards the end of May 2018, I was dismissed from my post as formation tutor at St. Mary’s College, Oscott by the rector, Canon David Oakley. The reason for this was that I recommended that an openly gay seminarian discontinue the program of formation. Clearly, as an openly gay man, there was no hope of him being ordained. David Oakely informed me that his bishop was “adamant” that his student was staying in formation and that this was not how he and a number of bishops interpreted the Church’s teaching on homosexuality.

In light of the McCarrick scandal and the Viganò report, it has become very clear that cardinals, bishops and senior clergy from around the world are still openly dissenting against the Church’s teaching that prohibits the entrance into seminary formation of men with a homosexual orientation. This is the root cause of the most pressing scandal of our times. In fact, it is destroying the priesthood from within.

Apparently, the policy in Oscott appears to be if a candidate is not “acting out” his homosexual tendencies at the moment or behaving in an inappropriately “camp” way, then he is free to follow the formation program and move towards holy orders. The rector will not dismiss a candidate from the seminary who admits to being “gay” out of fear that his bishop will not agree with his decision. The problem, therefore, quietly continues.
This approach is clearly ignoring the Church’s teaching on this vital issue, yet for some strange reason, bishops are still not being made accountable for disregarding this important instruction. Whilst the teaching is clear, the practice in so many dioceses is deeply compromised. Can I make a huge plea that something be done about this widespread abuse?

I can also state that two of the spiritual directors in the seminary are very compromised on the issue of homosexuality — one individual admitting to me his own gender identity is very confused and the other openly stated that homosexual priests are a good idea as they are better able to minister effectively to homosexual Catholics! Neither would adhere to Church’s teaching and acknowledge that a key part of their role as spiritual contained the “duty to dissuade (a homosexual person) in conscience from proceeding towards ordination.”

I am writing to you all with a petition to act and take the necessary steps to reform the three remaining seminaries in England. The orthodox and heterosexual seminarians deserve a seminary free from a gay subculture and free from academic and formation staff who are homosexual themselves.

For the sake of brevity, I will summarise my findings from the year I spent working in the seminary:

1. The problem begins at St. Luke’s Institute in Manchester where a number of seminarians are asked to undergo a psychological assessment as part of the selection policy. The director of the institute, Fr. Gerard Fieldhouse-Byrne, has some very strange views on homosexuality himself and seems happy to admit homosexual men into the formation program. This is a problem that the bishop of Salford needs to address.

2. Canon David Oakley is prepared to admit homosexual men into his seminary and will not dismiss them unless their public conduct becomes unsavory. He is a compromised and cowardly man who is not prepared to make a stand and disagree with the bishops on the issue of homosexuality.

3. A number of bishops from England and Wales are happy to admit seminarians who are openly gay into the formation program and proceed towards ordination. The bishop of Menevia is one such example.

4. One of the spiritual directors at Oscott Seminary has admitted to being sexually attracted to young men. It is highly inappropriate that such an individual hold such a post. The rector is aware of this fact but seems unable to confront this individual. He even noted that the friends who accompany this individual for holidays each year are also homosexual. Another of the spiritual directors in the seminary thinks that homosexual priests are a great idea as they can minister to the gay Catholic community.

5. The archbishop of Birmingham and the archbishop of Westminster have both been informed of these issues and seem to prefer to ignore them. Why do we continue to have such passive and feeble-hearted clerics in such high places of leadership in the Church? Why are they afraid to speak out on topics such as homosexuality in the clergy and the toxic gender ideology sweeping through our schools?

These are not only facts but shocking allegations against the present life of the seminary in Birmingham. Action needs to be taken to address the homosexual culture in the Church’s hierarchy. Scandals like those of Theodore McCarrick and Cardinal Keith O’Brien are just waiting to happen. The normal, heterosexual students in Oscott demand that the homosexual clique in the seminary be dismissed and that the homosexual or bisexual staff members be dismissed also.

I was fired from the college for striving to uphold the Church’s teaching on homosexuality which is a grave injustice to me personally. It is extraordinary to think that I was asked by the rector to make a public oath of fidelity to the Magisterium of the Church at the beginning of the academic year. It is my fidelity to that oath that has cost me my job and deprived the seminarians of the only qualified formator in the seminary.

In the summer of 2016, I was forced to resign from St. Patrick’s College, Maynooth because they were ordaining openly homosexual men to the priesthood, and two years later I have been fired from St. Mary’s College, Oscott for stating that homosexual men are not to be admitted to seminary formation and priesthood.
We are surely living through dark times for the Catholic Church. Are there any good bishops left who are brave enough to begin the wholesale reform of the priesthood that is so badly needed?
With every blessing in Christ,

Father David Marsden, S.C.J.
Former Formation Tutor

FATHER MARSDEN v GORGEOUS

Notorious seminarian threatens Fr. Marsden
Fr.

Marsden recounted how he challenged one of the most notorious homosexual seminarians about his disordered lifestyle. He was given the response: “My bishop knows, the seminary council knows, my spiritual director knows – none of them have a problem with it so neither should you.” The priest said he realized that he was being told to essentially shut up since this was none of his business. It was after this encounter that Fr. Marsden said he realized that it was now no longer possible to conduct proper formation in the seminary in the face of such widespread dissent from Church teaching that was blatant among the seminary council and the spiritual directors. It was at this point, he said, that he wrote a letter to Mons. Connolly tendering his resignation.

PAT SAYS

I doubt if Father Marsden and I could ever be friends  but EVERYTHING he says in this letter to the UK bishops hits the nail on the head.

Father Marsden has been accused of homophobia.

I hope he is not because homophobia is a grave sin.

But he is right to say that while the RCC teaches what it does about homosexuality, sexuality and celibacy, there is no room in it for sexually active gay bishops, priests and seminarians.

Such men are UTTER HYPOCRITES upholding one set of doctrines and contradicting them in their daily living.

Jesus detested the Pharisees because they were above all else, hypocrites.

The English and Irish bishops, and their henchmen, are 21 st century PHARISEES.

ADDED 12 NOON

PATS PENTECOST HOMILY

https://www.podbean.com/ea/pb-w5p6u-de6442

Over the past few days we have heard of seminarians being bullied, including sexually bullied in seminaries.

CORK PRIEST – SEMINARY BULLYING LED TO SIUICIDES.

2009

By Claire O’Sullivan Irish Examiner.

A LETTER has been sent to the president by a Co Cork priest informing her that “vile, cruel and oppressive” bullying in Irish seminaries led to numerous suicide attempts by student priests.

The priest, who has long called for greater transparency around clerical sex abuse, told President Mary McAleese that “abuse as reflected in the Ryan Report is not confined or limited to children in religious institutions in Ireland”.

He has sent a similar letter to the Vatican. “I studied in a Roman Catholic Seminary in Ireland from and the culture that prevailed there was vile, cruel and oppressive.

Emotional and psychological abuse was the norm and those who abused their authority realised fully that they were unaccountable and above the law.

Towards the end of my time there I was duly called in and told in no uncertain terms that I was to keep my mouth shut and take what I knew to my grave,” he said.

“When left that seminary system I realised that many would not have endured what I had to endure. I concluded that it would be a matter of time before some one would commit suicide,” he said.

The Co Cork priest informed her he knew of one victim at a seminary who attempted suicide and “left a number of suicide notes for members of his family, but the Church authorities never passed them on”.

He claimed in a letter that another priest, who had been bullied in the seminary, succeeded in committing suicide, but there was never an internal inquiry at the seminary.

“I suffered profound ill-health as a result of what I personally experienced and witnessed. Nobody was prepared to do anything about the abuse that prevailed. Even to report it to professors they were powerless to do anything about it. ….

The reality for many sadly was that the Church structure and system was not a safe place.” In the letter, the priest thanked the president for her public statement on the Ryan Report. “I am in no doubt but that your words of wisdom provided great reassurance to the unfortunate victims who were subjected to humiliating and degrading abuse and torture at the hands of their cruel oppressor who profess to be acting in the name of God, religion and Church. It was a shocking revelation for many but for the victims it was final confirmation of their reality,” he said.

MICHAEL DEEGAN TOOK HIS OWN LIFE IN THURLES SEMINARY.

PATS BLOG

An Irish priest serving in England is deeply concerned because, during his time there a fellow seminarian, Michael Deegan RIP, committed suicide in 1994 in St Patrick’s College, Thurles.

The priest, as a seminarian, had heard from Michael that he was being bullied and stalked by homosexuals within the seminary.

These people were putting gay pornography under Michael’s door during the night.

The priest brought the pornography to the college authorities.

Nothing was ever done and poor Michael took his own life.

In the case of Thurles and Michael Deegan he was being sexually stalked and harassed in his first year – when our English priest friend say the abusive material on his bed and took him to complain to Father Fogarty. That was 1991. He died in his third year when he was 20 going on 21.

CRISIS IN MAYNOOTH. FORMER THURLES SEMINARIAN DESCRIBES SERIOUS BULLYING.

Crisis in Maynooth: Former Thurles seminarian describes ‘serious bullying’

Sarah MacDonald August 08 2016 02:30 AM

A former seminarian at St Patrick’s College in Thurles has told of the severe physical and mental abuse he endured while studying at the seminary.

‘James’ told the Irish Independent of the bullying he endured at the seminary – including one incident where he had a bucket of dirt thrown over him by two people wearing balaclavas.

Outlining for the first time in full his experiences of physical and mental abuse almost 25 years ago in the seminary, as he embarked on what he thought was the path to priesthood, he said, “As I now recall that year, I feel so much pain and horror for what I experienced.”

“When I entered [the] seminary, I was living with over 100 students and priests and lecturers.

“These priests were there to guide us on our journey to ordination and help us discern what we truly wanted out of life. They would be our leaders, spiritual directors and brothers within whom we would place our trust and always be confident that they cared for our wellbeing,” he said.

However, instead he was subject to bullying and wrongly accused of a criminal act, which his accuser later admitted was a lie – but ‘James’ never received an apology from the college.

“The time for secrets has ended,” he stated.

The former seminarian revealed how he was forced to dress up in women’s clothes for a college variety show called ‘The Henry’ within the first week of entering the seminary in order to entertain the college president and the seminary’s priests.

“I was forcefully encouraged to put on a lady’s dress and wig and go out on stage and sing like that.

“I was absolutely mortified and hated every moment. While standing on the stage, some other students got a long pole with a hook on it and tried to rip the dress off me. I got so upset, I ran off the stage to the laughter of everyone present.”

His second memory of feeling shocked was the medical examination that all first-year students had to take within the first two weeks of arrival.

In the infirmary, the doctor was waiting for him.

“I thought I knew what to expect. The regular checks of blood pressure, heart rate, breathing, etc, were all done and I was getting a clean bill of health.

“But what followed was a shock. I was instructed to drop my trousers and underpants. I immediately questioned this. I was told by the doctor to just do what I was told. Once everything had been removed, the doctor immediately went about feeling my penis, something I had never experienced in my life to that point.

“I was now very scared and horrified. I did ask the doctor why he was doing it. He became very abrupt with me and said that it was normal practice for any student who wanted to be a priest. They had to ensure that I was a fully functional male so that, I, the student could fully understand and appreciate what I was giving up by taking on the rule of celibacy.

He further stated that this was in accordance with canon law. For me, it was a total intrusion of my privacy and almost a stripping away of what I held dear, my dignity.”

Other unhealthy, boarding school-type pranks constituted bullying, he believes. They included removing all his possessions and personal belongings from his room and dumping them elsewhere, which led to the breakage of a personal photograph of his late grandmother who had passed away just two weeks after he entered the seminary.

On another occasion a bucket of muck and dirt was thrown over him as he rang the bell for the six o’clock Angelus by two people wearing balaclavas.

“No one would help me, these future priests just laughed, saying ‘Ah, it was your turn this time’.”

The final straw came when he was accused of stealing money and questioned by a member of the local Gardaí. His accuser later admitted fabricating the story when ‘James’ confronted him.

The other seminarian said he felt so bad about it that he had considered taking his own life. ‘James’ told the dean of formation that the man was feeling suicidal and the student was put under 24-hour watch and later removed from the college.

“These events were truly the beginning of the end of my dream to become a priest. It killed my faith in people and destroyed what I had always held dear.

When people talk about abuse, I am constantly aware that abuse comes in many different forms, not always sexual. But it is the secrecy and failure to acknowledge fault that is the most damning thing.”

Any happy memories of his year in seminary are tarnished by the “serious bullying” ‘James’ claims he endured.

He added: “[These people] believed they had a vocation. My wish is nothing like [this] happens anyone again.”

‘James’ spoke out after a former seminarian at Maynooth alleged last week that a member of staff harassed him. The man made a preliminary statement to the gardaí yesterday.

He said that he will continue with his complaint and provide a formal statement this week.

“They certainly felt that a couple of isolated incidents which I mentioned did warrant investigation by them,” he told the Irish Independent.

“I will be meeting them next week in person to provide a written statement concerning the above.”
He said that a priest who was meant to be his “spiritual father” acted inappropriately towards him on a number of occasions.

He said that his faith was “severely shaken” and he suffered from a severe depression.

CAVAN SEMINARIAN MENTAL BREAKDOWN DURING LEDWITH’S TIME IN MAYNOOTH.

During Micheal Ledwith’s time in Maynooth a very junior young seminarian from Cavan was found in the middle of a severe nervous breakdown in the college chapel.

He had been a victim of sexual bullying and seduction by other clerics in Maynooth.

His parents were sent for and he was packed home without any explanation.

2018

WAS THIS A SUICIDE?

U.S. seminarian who carried cross at pope’s Easter Mass dies in Rome

ROME — Friends and fans called him a “gentle giant,” a faithful “prayer warrior” and a Clark Kent whose superman power was helping people grow in holiness and faith.

“I believe I truly knew a saint,” one friend wrote.
The written comments were among the hundreds of condolence messages, prayers and stories submitted to an “in memoriam” page on the RegnumChristi.org website for Legionary of Christ Brother Anthony Freeman of Houston.

The U.S. seminarian, who was a third-year theology student at Rome’s Pontifical Regina Apostolorum University, died unexpectedly at the age of 29. He was scheduled to be ordained a deacon July 7 in Houston.
He was found dead in his room April 2 after classmates realized he had not joined them for a scheduled outing. The university called Italian authorities, who were still conducting an investigation and autopsy as of April 4 to determine the cause of death.
He’d had supper with the seminary community April 1 after serving as an acolyte that day at Pope Francis’s Easter morning Mass, carrying the cross in the opening procession.

“They usually pick the tallest person” to carry the cross to give it prominence, and “he was tall and strong and to bear the cross was very symbolic” in hindsight, Legionary Father Aaron Smith told Catholic News Service April 4.

PABLO

This week we heard of Pablo who took his life after seminary abuse.

It would be good if someone could tell us Pablo’s story.

SEMINARIANS, BREAKDOWNS AND THERAPY / TREATMENT

I have personally spoken to a number of former seminarian who were very broken and damaged by seminary bullying, including sexual bullying.

Some of them needed medication. Some needed counselling. Some needed impatient treatment.

Some of them were sexually bullied by other seminarians.

Some were sexually bullied by seminary staff members.

Some of them will have to live for life with the repercussions of what happened to them.

And all this PURE EVIL happened because they decided to give their lives to God and the church.

All of this happened at the hands of those who claim to be servants of Jesus.

The only cure for all this is for every abused seminarian to make a formal complaint to the police.

And for each damaged seminarian to bring large civil cases against the church and priests involved.

A number of years ago, about four in the afternoon, I went into an RC parish church to say a quiet prayer.

I was impressed to see a teenage boy, in his school uniform, in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, praying earnestly. You dont see many teenagers doing that these days.

When the young man finished his prayers he passed by my pew and we exchanged a friendly greeting.

I told him I was impressed to see him there praying. He answered: “I’m hoping to be accepted for the priesthood in the diocese  Father. Would you say a prayer that I will be accepted and be a good priest”?

I assured him that I would and kept my promise.

A year or two later I saw that he had been accepted for the diocese in question and was sent to Maynooth.

I spoke about him to his former curate who told me was a wonderfully sincere young man and from a very devout family.

He went into Maynooth full of prayerfulness and with the idealism that resides in a pure heart.

Within a year everything had changed. He began featuring in reports of the Maynooth seminarians who were active on Grindr.

He had a new gay Maynooth nickname. Let’s call him “Lusty Leo”.

He had become a full blown member of the Maynooth Gay Circle.

He was a very good looking first year – a “chicken”, as they call it in gay parlance.

The older “Chicken Hawks” spotted him a mile away and got their claws into him straight away.

He was introduced to heavy drinking and poppers. Very quickly, the hawks had him literally “de-briefed”.

Before he knew it he was head over heels into the sauna lifestyle.

He slept (stayed awake) with many other seminarians.

These seminarians quickly brought him to the attention of their older, clerical sugar daddies.

The sugar daddies wined and dined the new chicken, bough him expensive gifts of clothing and cologne, brought him on hotel stay overs and on holidays.

They lavished money on him.

Soon  he was their captive.

Things went from bad to worse and in a whole complicated series of events he found himself out of seminary and back at home.

One or two of his old clerical friends keep in touch with him and still meet him and support him

But he is not only losing his boyish good looks  more sadly he has lost his innocence, and perhaps his faith.

He is no longer found praying in front of the Blessed Sacrament.

Jesus described himself as the Vine and us as the branches.

Jesus talked about pruning, but he never mentioned PHS – maybe it was not around in first century Palestine?

PHS is plasmopara homosexualitatis suapte – avid homosexuality pathogen.

Its equivalent plasmopara heterosexualitis suapte is to be found in the world but has now became a rarity in RC clerical circles.

It is a destructive fungus that attacks Jesus’ vines, destroying the fruit on the vine and rending the fruit sour and poisonous.

Vines infected with PHS cannot be made into the wine Jesus spoke of – the New Wine we will drink with him in his Kingdom.

The liquid made with PHS infected grapes can only be made into the type of bitter vinegar on a sponge the soldiers held up to Jesus to drink on Calvary.

In the last few days on the blog we have been discussing the growth and spread of predatory homosexuality that is now in all our seminaries and dioceses.

This is widespread PHS.

It is destroying the vineyards of the Lord on earth.

FATHER LOMASNEY’S BELONGINGS ARE AUCTIONED TODAY

“JOIN THE ROYAL NAVY AND SEE THE WORLD”

“JOIN THE CATHOLIC PRIESTHOOD AND SEE THE HOLE WORLD”.

Sadly  the Roman Catholic priesthood is now the biggest club in the world for sexually active bishops, priests and seminarians.

There’s more casual sex available in the RC priesthoid than their is available in the Red Light districts of cities like Amsterdam.

And no matter what your particular kink is, you will find an answer for it in every diocese and seminary in the world – from “Vanilla” to BDSM.

And, all of this happening in a church whose catechism says that homosexuality is seriously disordered and a grave sin!

Do they mean it’s only disordered and sinful for non clerics?

Presently  we have;

Seminarians being considered for diaconate and priesthood who are having sex like rabbits.

Seminarians and priests – and probably bishops – looking anonymous gay sex on apps like Grindr.

Seminarians and young priests acting as rent boys for senior clergy.

Seminarians and seminary staff having sex.

The presence of poppers and drugs in seminaries.

Priests attempting to seduce young men in their parishes.

Bishops appointing priest secretaries on the basis of their looks and sexual orientation.

Active and non active gay bishops allowing ordinations to take place because they have the hots for the ordinands.

Diocesan cliques of gay priests.

Seminarians expelled from seminaries over gay sex activities been taken on by bishops and being sent to new seminaries.

Many, many bishops turning a blind eye to the strange goings on among their seminarians and priests.

I have often said that the RCC was the Roman Empire Mk 11. And now we see the existence of the sexual anarchy in the RCC that played a major role in destroying the first Roman empire.

Sexual anarchy is not good for any human being, group of human beings or for society.

Sex is a wonderful gift from God but all gifts come with their accompanying obligations.

Sex is primarily a gift that allows us to show love, affection, attraction in a special way.

But sex should not be about hurting, using or abusing.

When that priest and seminarian had sex on the Kildorrery altar God was hurt. The believing community that gathers there was hurt. Christianity was abused and belittled by those who have set themselves up as the champions of Catholic Christianity.

When Catholic bishops “force” young priests and seminarians to do them sexual favours they are using and abusing those young men. They are using their position in the Christian Community to prey on the “vulnerable”.

When seminarians and priests engage in orgiastic sex with each other they are betraying their faith, their vocation and the community they serve – and the community who pay for their lives and in return expect authenticity and standards from them.

They are saying to the community: “Give us your money. Give you your respect. Put us on your pedestals, acknowledge us as “Alter Christus”, live as we tell you to live – but when it comes to expecting certain standards from us – fuck off”!

The RCC priesthood and episcopate is now full of gay sex addicts.

Put addicts in charge of your organisation and what do you get ?

You get anarchy, destruction and a tsunami of human misery!

Associated Press

May 27, 2020

(Credit: Pixabay.)

ST. CLOUD, Minn. – The Diocese of St. Cloud will pay sexual abuse victims $22.5 million and file for bankruptcy, according to a settlement agreement.
Terms of the agreement were announced Tuesday.

Some 70 victims say they were abused by 41 priests in cases that date back to the 1950s.

Attorney Jeff Anderson negotiated the settlement agreement and said it gives validation to the victims, some of whom Anderson first represented in lawsuits filed in the 1980s, the Star Tribune reported.

“Every single survivor with whom we worked has felt some measure of recovery of power by having come forward to share secrets,” said Anderson.

“We believe they have made the community safer because of it, and they have been a part of a massive cleanup of a massive coverup in the Diocese of St. Cloud. It has been a journey born of great tribulation.”

St. Cloud Bishop Donald Kettler said in a statement that he apologized on “behalf of the Church for the harm they (victims) suffered.” Kettler said he hoped the settlement will help heal the victims of abuse.
If the bankruptcy plan is approved, the St. Cloud Diocese will become the fifth of Minnesota’s six dioceses to settle its clergy abuse claims and declare bankruptcy.

BishopAccountability.org  
St. Cloud Bishop Releases Names of 33 Accused Priests
By Alex Svejkovsky
WJON
January 3, 2014

http://wjon.com/st-cloud-bishop-releases-names-of-33-accused-priests/

Bishop Donald Kettler, Photo by WJON.com’s Jim Maurice

A day after a Sartell man filed a lawsuit against the Diocese of St. Cloud, Bishop Donald Kettler has released the names of those accused of sexual abuse of minors.

The move comes as other Minnesota Catholic Dioceses and the Archdiocese of Minneapolis-St. Paul are dealing with similar disclosures or lawsuits to release similar lists of clergy members.

In a new release issued today, Kettler said:

When I became Bishop of the Diocese of St. Cloud, I immediately began connecting with the people, familiarizing myself with policies and reviewing important documents that I am responsible for as Bishop. It is my intent to continue to provide a pastoral response to such abuse. I hope that the release of these names will provide validation to those victims.

According to the Bishop’s release, at least seven of the clergy members are still living. Four of them in Collegeville, one in St. Cloud, one in the Twin Cities, and one in New York.

Twenty-one others have died. And the status of five other clergy members are unknown.

Here is the list of clergy:

Robert Blumeyer, OSB (Order of Saint Benedict): St. Augustine, St. Cloud; St. Benedict’s, Avon; St. Catherine, Farming. Deceased

Michael Brennan, TOR (Third Order Regular of Saint Francis): Our Lady of the Angels Boarding School, Belle Prairie. Status Unknown

Anthony Canu, TOR: Our Lady of the Angels Boarding School, Belle Prairie. Status Unknown

Cosmos Dalheimer, OSB: St. Mary’s, St. Cloud; St. Benedict’s Monastery and College, St. Joseph; St. Augustine, St. Cloud; St. Joseph, St. Joseph; St. Scholastica Convent, St. Cloud. Deceased

John Eccleston: Sacred Heart, Staples; St. Edward’s, Henning; Ave Maria, Wheaton; Chaplain St. Francis Convent, Little Falls. Deceased

Richard Eckroth, OSB: St. Benedict High School, St. Joseph; St. Augustine, St. Cloud; Seven Dolors, Albany; St. Raphael’s Convent, St. Cloud; St. Scholastica Convent, St. Cloud. Currently residing in Collegeville, MN.

Sylvester Gall: St. Joseph, Pierz; St. Mary’s Cathedral, St. Cloud; Chaplain, St. Raphael, St. Cloud; St. John the Baptist, Swanville; St. Nicholas, Belle River; St. Nicholas, St. Nicholas; St. Andrew, Elk River; St. Michael’s, Motley; St. John Nepomuk, Lastrup. Deceased.

William Garding: St. Mary’s, Melrose; St. Paul’s, Sauk Centre; St. John the Baptist, Bluffton; Holy Cross, Butler; Assumption, Menagha; Director, Cemetary Office, St. Cloud. Deceased

Raoul Gauthier: Chaplain, St. Michael’s Hospital, Sauk Centre. Deceased

Thomas Gillespie, OSB: St. Boniface, Cold Spring; St. Joseph, St. Joseph; St. Raphael’s Convent, St. Cloud; St. Scholastica Convent, St. Cloud; St. Benedict’s Monastery, St. Joseph. Currently residing in Collegeville, MN

Stanislaus Goryczka: Holy Cross, Harding (Pulaski); St. Edward’s Elmdale; Our Lady of Lourdes, Little Falls. Deceased

Francis Hoefgen, OSB: St. Bonface, Cold Spring; St. Benedict’s Monastery, St. Joseph. Laicized. Address unknown

Othmar Hohmann, OSB: Immaculate Conception, New Munich; St. Boniface, Cold Spring; St. Joseph, St. Joseph. Deceased

Raymond Jacques: St. Peter and Paul, Sauk Centre; Assumption, Morris; St. Anne’s, Kimball. Deceased

Val Klimek: St. Mary’s Cathedral, St. Cloud; Spiritual Director, Cathedral High School; St. Columbkill, St. Wendel; St. Lawrence, Duelm; Director, Catholic Charities; Holy Trinity, Royalton; Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Rockville. Deceased

Reginald Krakowski, TOR: Local Superior, St. Louis Monastery, St. Cloud; Cathedral High School. Current Status Unknown

Joseph Kremer: Sacred Heart, Sauk Rapids; Staff, St. John’s Seminary/Diocese of St. Cloud; St. Michael’s, Spring Hill; Holy Spirit, St.Cloud. Deceased

Richard Kujawa: St. Mary’s, Breckenridge; St. Joseph, Bertha; St. Edward’s, Henning; Sacred Heart, Flensburg; St. Mary’s, Melrose; St. Hubert, Blue Grass; Our Lady of the Assumption, Menagha. Deceased

Henry Lutgen: St. Mary’s, Alexandria; Superintendent, St. Cloud Children’s Home; Director, Catholic Charities. Deceased

Brennan Maiers, OSB: St. Joseph, St. Joseph; St. Boniface, Cold Spring; St. Raphael’s Convent, St. Cloud; St. Benedict’s Monastery, St. Joseph; St. Scholastica Convent, St. Cloud. Currently residing in Collegeville, MN

James Mohm: St. Joseph, Pierz; St. Joseph, Brushvale; St. James, Maine; Immaculate Conception, Osakis. Deceased

Donald Rieder: St. Mary’s, Alexandria; St. James, Randall; St. Anne’s, Kimball; Assumption, Morris; St. Agnes, Roscoe; St. Louis, Paynesville; Chaplain, St. Gabriel’s Hospital, Little Falls; St. Stanislaus, Sobieski; St. John Cantius, St. Cloud. Deceased

Francisco Schulte, OSB: St. Boniface, Cold Spring. Collegeville, MN

Robert Smith: Holy Angels, St. Cloud; Holy Family, Belle Prairie; Our Lady of Victory, Fergus Falls; St. Leonard’s, Pelican Rapids; St. Paul’s, Sauk Centre; Chaplain, Poor Clare Sisters, Sauk Rapids; Holy Cross, North Prairie; St. Stanislaus, Sobieski. Deceased

Peter Snyers: Immaculate Conception, Rice; St. Mary’s, Breckenridge; St. Kathyrn’s, Ogilvie; St. Louis, Foreston; Assumption, Eden Valley; St. Hedwig’s and St. Mary’s, Holdingford; St. John Cantius, St. Cloud. Deceased

Allan Speiser: St. Ann’s, Wadena; Sacred Heart, Sauk Rapids; Holy Angels, St. Cloud; Chaplain, St. Raphael’s, St. Cloud; Cathedral High School, St. Cloud; St. Anthony, St. Anthony; St. Nicholas, St. Nicholas; Immaculate Conception, Becker; St. Francis Xavier, Sartell; St. John Nepomuk, Lake Reno; Our Lady of the Runestone, Kensington; Holy Cross, Butler; St. John the Baptist, Bluffton; Holy Spirit, St. Cloud; St. Francis, St. Francis. Deceased

James Thoennes: St. Anthony’s, St. Cloud; St. Mary’s, Melrose; St. Joseph, Waite Park; St. John’s, Foley; St. Anne’s, Kimball; Sacred Heart, Dent; St. Leonard’s, Pelican Rapids; St. Joseph, Bertha; St. Edward’s. Henning; Chaplain, St. Mary’s Villa, Pierz. Currently residing in St. Cloud, MN

Roger Vaughn, OSC (Canons Regular of the Order of the Holy Cross (Crosiers)) : St. Peter’s, St. Cloud. Currently residing in New York.

Michael Weber: Holy Spirit, St. Cloud as transitional deacon. Currently residing in Twin Cities, MN

William Wey: St. Mary’s Cathedral, St. Cloud; St. Donatus, Brooten; Immaculate Conception, Sedan; St. Gall, Tintah; Sacred Heart, Dent; St. Peter, Dumont; St. Patrick, Collis. Deceased

Adelbert Wolski, TOR: Cathedral High School. Current Status Unknown

Vincent Yzermanns: St. Boniface, Melrose; St. Mary’s Cathedral, St. Cloud; St. John the Baptist, Swanville; Editor, Saint Cloud Visitor; St. Nicholas, St. Nicholas; St. Rose, St. Rosa; St. Anthony, St. Anthony. Deceased

Francis Zilkowski: Chancellor, Diocese of Saint Cloud; St. Louis, Foreston; Sacred Heart, Flensburg; Our Lady of Lourdes, Little Falls; Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Opole. Deceased

Bishop Kettler says he hopes the release of names will help victims.

It is my hope that the release of these names will provide validation to those victims who have been sexually abused and have already come forward. I pray it will also give strength to those who have remained silent and allow them to come forward.

The release also encourages anyone who may have been sexually-abused to contact a victim’s advocate.

---

ORDINATIONS OF EXCELLENT YOUNG PRIESTS FOR LEEDS AND NOTHAMPTON

FATHER JOSHUA HILTON

Recently ordained for Leeds.

Formerly of Oscott and Allen Hall.

FATHER BRENDAN SEERY

Recently ordained for Northampton.

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Many, even those with no particular interest in Roman Catholicism, are watching the religious politics to see who will replace DM in Dublin.

Favourites include Paul Tighe in Rome, Leahy in Limerick and Nulty in Kildare.

In my view, something interesting happened recently when DM withdrew Ciaran O’Carroll from the Irish College in Rome and made him Vicar for Clergy in Dublin.

Diarmuid, Tighe and O’Carroll are all friends.

Tighe and O’Carroll holiday together.

I think it is possible that O’Carroll might get Dermos job.

If he doesn’t, I think he will be made an auxiliary to the new archbishop.

Tighe is now 62 and an ideal age for Dublin with 13 years to serve.

But I’m told Tighe likes Rome and would prefer to go further there?

Leahy is pastoral enough, a Dublin priest and a good theologian.

Nulty is a light weight run about..

I’ve heard Phonsie’s name mentioned. He has Opus Dei connections. He’s basically a neurotic borderline psychotic personality. But it would not be the first time a looney climbed the RCC ladder.

An outsider, I think, in the Jesuit provincial Leonard Maloney. The pope is a Jesuit and met Maloney in Dublin. Mind you  Maloney made a dog’s dinner of the recent Paul Prior Jesuit allegations. But reward for incompetent is right up there in the RCC.

The appointment is very important for the Dublin priests who have not felt cared for by DM. I accept this as being a fact but cannot understand it as DM is very human and compassionate to others. What was behind DM’s poor relationship with the Dublin priests.

Who ever gets Dublin will be of interest to those of us who are RCC watchers from the sociological and humourous points of view.

But it will make no difference to the cancerous decline in Irish Catholicis. The RCC has already lost most of the battles and indeed the entire war.

The new archbishop of Dublin will simply co-chair the handling of the fallout from RCC implosion alongside Her Grace of Armagh.

PATS ASCENSION HOMILY

https://www.podbean.com/ea/pb-7htmk-ddbfc9

Blog Readers have been asking me about the countries in which the blog is read.

These are the countries.

Figures vary from 2000 + a day at the top of the list to 1 reader in the very lower countries.

UK
IRELAND
USA
INDONESIA
GERMANY
FRANCE
ITALY
BELGIUM
CANADA
JAPAN
SIGNAPORE
SPAIN
NORWAY
AUSTRALIA
SLOVAKIA
LUXEMBOURG
JERSEY
SWEDEN
PHOLIPPINES
NETHERLANDS
VATICAN CITY
MALAYSIA
AUSTRIA
SWITZERLAND
CHINA
GUADELOUPE
SOUTH AFRICA
NEW ZEALAND
MALTA
EU
INDIA
SAUDI ARABIA
DENMARK
SOUTH KOREA
GUERNSEY
NIGERIA
SLOVENIA
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
CZECH REPUBLIC
BRAZIL
POLAND
MEXICO
MARTINIQUE
KENYA
GREECE
BANGLADESH
THAILAND
RUSSIA
PORTUGAL
UGANDA
ROMANIA
SYRIA
FINLAND
BOSNIA HERZEGOVINA
TURKEY
GEORGIA
PAKISTAN
ISLE OF MAN
IRAQ
ISTAEL
GHANA
MOZAMBIQUE
MAURITIUS
LEBANON
BAHRAIN
PERI
HONG KONG
PANAMA
CAMBODIA
MYANMAR
ARGENTINA
UKRAINE
TANZANIA
BELARUS
JAMAICA

Abuse victims NORTHERN IRELAND – data breach could cost £2.5m in damages

By Allan Preston Belfast Telegeaph.

May 24 2020 10:00 PM

A serious data breach involving victims of historical institutional abuse could potentially result in compensation claims running into millions of pounds, a legal source has said.
Concerns were raised after the details of 250 people, including abuse victims, were leaked on Friday in an email error from the office of Brendan McAllister.
A victims’ group and several political leaders have already called on Mr McAllister, the interim Advocate for Victims and Survivors of Historical Institutional Abuse, to step down immediately.

PAT SAYS

it’s very unfortunate that victims data has been accidentally released.

It does seem like a resigning matter to me.

The leak will cause a lot of distress to some and less to others- especially those who have already been open about their abuse.

ST PHILIP NERI FOUNDER OF THE ORATORY MOVEMENT

WATCH THE FILM – ST PHILIP NERI – PREFER HEAVEN

We have Philip’s relic in The Oratory.

Mass of Philip Neri TODAY 12 NOON

http://www.bishoppatbuckley.org

Posted by Janet E. Smith on Thursday May 21st, 2020 at 1:58 PM

COMMENTARY: Bishops and dioceses must answer the phone calls of victims, meet with them, hear their stories and empathize with them. That is not too much to ask.

Victims of sexual abuse by clergy frequently have told me that the way they were treated by bishops has hurt them more than the abuse did.

Virtually every bishop has made the announcement that he is dedicated to helping victims who have been sexually abused by priests and that he has put considerable resources toward that effort.

Unfortunately, from what I have heard from too many victims, some bishops are quite adept at virtue-signaling and at making empty promises.

Examples of the unresponsiveness of dioceses to victims are available in nearly every documentary on the sex-abuse crisis. One of the first and most devastating I watched was The Keepers on Netflix, which explores the unsolved murder of a religious sister who taught at an all-girls high school in Baltimore in the late 1960s. The series holds that the sister was killed because she suspected that the priest/principal was repeatedly abusing one of the students and was preparing a report for the archdiocese. Some 20 years later, when the woman who was abused by the priest reported it to the Archdiocese of Baltimore, officials were sympathetic but claimed that they could not verify her story. The woman’s nine siblings sent about 1,000 postcards to other women who had studied at the same high school during the tenure of the priest/principal and asked if they had anything to report about sexual abuse during their time there. Dozens came forward then, and even more came forward after the documentary. Why could not the diocese have done such an investigation? (The Archdiocese of Baltimore defends itself here.)
That event was decades ago, but the pattern of behavior remains all too common.

One reason Siobhan O’Connor of Buffalo, New York, shifted from the role of loyal secretary to Bishop Richard Malone to whistleblower who helped effect the bishop’s resignation is that she discovered the phone line on which victims were to report abuse went to an answering machine in a warehouse and was listened to by no one.

When she started taking the calls of victims and looking at the files of the accused priests, she realized that Bishop Malone’s promises of support for victims were flat-out lies; there were multiple accusations in files that had never been addressed. And then she found a large binder with accusations against priests in a broom closet — clearly out of reach of anyone trying to verify accusations.

I know of victims who have repeatedly attempted to schedule a meeting with a bishop only to have their many emails and calls go unanswered. Often they are answered only when a lawyer or distinguished Catholic makes the contact for them. How many victims simply become discouraged and disappear? Not only is the injustice to them not addressed, it is magnified — the victims are revictimized — and a true counting of the extent of abuse is made impossible.

I recently heard from an ex-nun who had been sexually abused by her religious superior nearly two decades ago. When she contacted the diocese where the abuse occurred to ask for an appointment to speak with the bishop, the secretary who answered said, “That is not our protocol. The bishop does not meet with adult victims.”

There was no expression of sorrow about the sexual abuse the caller was reporting. The victim got the same response when speaking with the priest assigned to deal with victims. She was devastated that, after having spent months getting up her courage to tell her story, she was so summarily dismissed. Eventually, due to the interventions of a few others, the bishop relented and called the victim.

What could be the reason for such a protocol? Are there just simply too many victims? If so, meet with them in groups, but meet with them! And train your staff to respond with compassion to those who call.
 
The Case of Peter

In another case, a man I’ll call “Peter” told me that he and his four siblings (three brothers, one sister) were all sexually abused by the same Detroit priest some 50 years ago, both in the rectory and at their home. None of them knew the others had been abused until recently.

Peter told me that when he wrote the Archdiocese of Detroit to report his abuse in September 2018, it took more than two and a half months for him to get a reply in November 2018. When the diocesan “advocate” finally called the man, she acknowledged that there had been several accusations against the same priest and assured him that the deceased priest’s name, Father Jan Tyminski, would be included on the list of credibly accused priests on the archdiocesan website.
It took many emails and a public Facebook post to finally get Father Tyminski’s name posted and a press release issued May 17, 2019. However, the press release was inaccurate. It mentioned only one credible accusation, although the archdiocese knew there had been several. In spite of promises that a correction would be made immediately and after repeated requests from Peter that it be done, no correction has been made.

In the meantime, Peter told me, he had learned that his sister had made complaints about Father Tyminski back in 1995, 1998 and 2002 — with no results. Finally, on Aug. 12, 2019, Peter was able to meet with Archbishop Allen Vigneron to express his dissatisfaction with how his siblings’ reports of abuse by Father Tyminski had been handled. He said he took a picture of his mother with him to the meeting and put it on the table in front of him and explained that he wanted Archbishop Vigneron to meet another victim — his mother, who only learned in the last year of her life of the abuse and went to her death blaming herself.

Peter told me he gave a set of requests to Archbishop Vigneron and asked to be given a timeline for addressing the problems he listed. He said he has not heard from the archdiocese since. He said his registered letter stating he had decided to go public with his experience unless he heard something has gone unanswered.

Peter has posted the whole story of his ugly treatment on a new website, “Victim Voices,” which will feature testimonies both from those satisfied about the treatment they received from the Archdiocese of Detroit and those who are dissatisfied. One hopes supporters of victims in other dioceses will provide a similar opportunity for victims to tell their stories.

There are good stories, though only a few have come to my attention. The ex-nun of whom I spoke earlier had a tremendously healing meeting with the current superiors in the order wherein the abuse occurred. They responded with alacrity to her request to meet with them and gave her a truly warm, loving and compassionate hearing, along with sincere expressions of horror and empathetic tears and diligent follow-up. They responded as loving, decent human beings, not as threatened bureaucrats.
 
Bishop Biegler’s Example

The efforts made by Bishop Steven Biegler of Cheyenne, Wyoming, are so different from how most bishops have behaved that it almost defies belief. He took laudable steps to get testimony from victims of a previous bishop, Bishop Joseph Hart, whose record of abuse went back several decades. Bishop Hart’s actions were among the cases that cost the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, Missouri, where he had served as a priest, $20 million.

When Bishop Biegler came to Cheyenne, he learned of the charges against Bishop Hart and flew to New York to hear from one of the victims who had attempted for nearly two decades to convince law enforcement and Church officials that he had been abused by Bishop Hart. Moreover, Crux reported, “not only had Biegler believed [the victim], he had taken action — hiring outside investigators to examine claims against Hart, which they found to be credible, barring him from public ministry, and making multiple trips to the Vatican to lobby for swift adjudication.” He also forbade Bishop Hart to attend his installation ceremony.

I don’t know of any other bishop who has acted so boldly in respect to abuse, especially abuse by a fellow bishop.

Unfortunately, the economic devastation many dioceses are experiencing for multiple reasons — declining numbers of Catholics, parish and school closures, past payments to abuse victims, and the effect of the coronavirus pandemic lockdown — may lead to the filing of bankruptcy by many dioceses, and that in turn will make it even harder for victims to get even token compensation for the horrendous life-changing harm they have experienced.

Let us at least hope that bishops and dioceses will learn to answer the phone calls of victims, meet with them, hear their stories and empathize with them. That is not too much to ask.

Janet E. Smith, Ph.D., is a retired professor of moral theologybwho speaks and writes on life issues and the corruption in the Church.
 
PAT SAYS

One of the most damning aspects of the whole RCC abuse saga is the way bishops have treated victims / survivors.

I stead of treating victims as just would – disgraceful bishops have called in lawyers to cynically protect them and their monies.

Such bishops are ” anti Christs”  – behaving in the opposite way to Christ.

Such bishops should be thrown into prison by the civil authorities.

LURGAN PARISH 🤢

COUNTRIES WHERE BLOG BEING READ THIS MONTH

Encyclopedia.com Views 1,649,282Updated May 10 2020

Basic Christian communities (English term for comunidades eclesiales de base, communautés de base ; also known as mini-parishes, life-communions, neighborhood churches, and grass-roots communities) are relatively small (in comparison with parishes), homogeneous groups of Christians who share common interests, values, and objectives; who search to emphasize primary, inter-personal, ongoing relationships; and who view themselves as ecclesial entities.

Basic Christian communities are the form in which growing numbers of concerned peoples are structuring themselves as an alternative or a complement to the parish model of Church.

Their common interests, their possibly living in the same area, and their limited numbers (from 8 to 40, some would say 100) allow members to develop close personal relationships.

Generally these groups seek some concerted impact on the world and undertake apostolic options as a group.

The rhythm of sacramental life varies according to group discernment and the availability of a priest or deacon.

The purpose of basic Christian communities is not to be parish societies that provide services to the parish, to be study groups, or to be movements infusing church life with one special quality; but rather to hold their own identity as an ecclesial unit.

Such factors as discontent, the unavailability of a priest, impersonalism, and the great distances between the members of some rural parishes have been catalysts for the origin of some basic Christian communities.

Among the positive features of these communities are: the experience of authentic community and close supportive relationships beyond the family; effective community supports and challenges to the members towards more meaningful service; a setting in which faith is deepened by the critique of the interaction between reading the Gospel and the struggle to live as Christians; promotion of involvement in contemporary society; rapid development of many and varied ministries or services among the members; and a questioning of the parish as the only model for Church.

In the late 20th century basic Christian communities became a major element of the pastoral practice of significant segments of the Catholic and Protestant Churches over the world. They are a cornerstone of much Latin American pastoral work. In many areas of Africa and Asia they are likewise a key for pastoral development.

PAT SAYS

For many of us the RC church is a failure and a lost cause. How could we ever trust it again?

But those of us who believe in Jesus and want to follow him know that part of that must be done in community. Only hermits are Christian loners – and most of us do not have the gifts (or neurosis  ) for the life of a hermit.

Personally, as a Christian, I have need for community and community prayer, as well as for being alone and solitary prayer.

I am also convinced about the Sacraments – even though I am well aware they were a development.

So how can I be a Christian, have access to community prayer and Sacraments without having to buy in to things like hierarchy, canon law, clericalism and all the corruption and abuse I see in the church into which I was born?

And, I feel no call to be a Protestant of any kind 

I do think that BASIC CHRISTIAN COMMUNITIES are the way forward. In one sense, that is what we have had here in Larne since 1986 – a catholic community, with sacraments, that has no canon law but responds to those who need us as best we can, while making many mistakes as well.

I think a BCC should consist of between 20 and 40 people – small enough for everyone to know each other and build relationships.

It should avoid completely having any “leaders” and all matters should be based on the decision of the members, with a willingness by all to accept the majority opinion – but keeping a community welcome for dissent and dissenters.

The community emphasis should be on everyone developing a deep personal relationship with Jesus  through prayer, Scripture study and spiritual and human sharing.

The community should have an absolutely deep rooted commitment to personal and social justice and should be involved in justice campaigns affecting the greater community in its area. A BCC should, at heart  be anti establishment or non establishment – as Jesus was.

BCC’s AND THE SACRAMENTS

If the BCC is not under the control of the RCC it will either not supply them with the Sacraments or even go out of it’s way to stop them having the Sacraments.

A BCC cannot always depend on their being a benevolent priest coming to their aid – and such a priest would find himself being in trouble with his bishop or religious superior. So they have two choices:

PERFORM THEIR OWN SACRAMENTS – which of course the RCC would seem “invalid” – but in God’s eyes would be perfectly valid and grace giving.

OR AVAIL OF THE SERVICIES OF INDEPENDENT CATHOLIC BISHOPS AND PRIESTS.

That would be a decision for each BCC.

I think the BCC road is a word very worth considering by any Christian or group of Christian’s.

As always, I welcome readers thoughts.

Contents

Foreword 1

Preface 7
Recommendations 11

Part 1: God’s mission, the Kingdom of God, 41
and the signs of the times

1.1 Introduction 42

1.2 God’s plan and mission 43

1.3 The Kingdom of God 45

1.4 Reading the signs of the times 49

1.5 People on the planet and on the move 50

1.6 People in Australia 52

1.7 People and religion 53

1.8 Catholics in Australia 56

1.9 Women in Australia and the Church 59

1.10 People and inequality 62

1.11 People and climate change 64

1.12 People and institutions 66

1.13 Australia and the nuclear threat 68

1.14 Church communications 71

1.15 The Catholic Church and Australia’s First Peoples 73

1.16 Other signs of the times 76

Some discussion questions 76

Part 2: People of God 83

2.1 Israel: People of God and light to the nations 84

2.2 The Halakah 85

2.3 The Gentile question 87

2.4 Paul’s charter of equality and freedom 88

2.5 Vatican II and the People of God 89

2.6 Theology of the Laity – Sensus fidei fidelium 93

2.7 Vatican II and the rights and duties of Christ’s faithful 95

2.8 Lex Ecclesiae Fundamentalis and Justice in the World 96

2.9 Charter of Rights and Responsibilities for Christ’s Faithful 99

2.10 Recommendations 101

Some discussion questions 104

Part 3: Church Governance 109

3.1 The meaning of governance 110

3.2 Church authority 113

3.3 Governance and power in the Church 118

3.4 The Royal Commission and governance 124

3.5 The culture of clericalism 127

3.6 Women and church governance 130

3.7 Conclusion 134

3.8 Recommendations 137

Some discussion questions 144

Part 4: Pastoral leadership and
Parish Ministry 149

4.1 The sacraments and signs of the times 150

4.2 The Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism,

Confirmation, Eucharist 152

4.3 Sacrament of Penance or Reconciliation 156

4.4 Sacrament of Holy Orders 161

4.5 Bishops and the Episcopate 163

4.6 Priests and priesthood 165

4.6.1 Clericalism 166

4.6.2 Selection, screening and initial formation
of candidates for the priesthood 167

4.6.3 Celibacy 170

4.6.4 Ordination of viri probati 172

4.6.5 Ordination of women to the priesthood 174

4.7 Deacons, the Diaconate and women 178

Getting Back On Mission

4.8 Matrimony 182

4.9 Sacred Liturgy 186

4.10 Parish ministry in crisis 190

4.11 Shortage of priests for parish ministry 192

4.12 Overseas-sourced priests 195

4.13 Permanent deacons 198

4.14 Pastoral Associates 200

4.15 Pastoral Strategies for parish ministry 203

4.16 Recommendations 206

Some discussion questions 220

Part 5: Plenary Council: process and
procedures 229

5.1 Synods and councils in Australia 230

5.2 Plenary Council 2020/21 234

5.3 Three stages of a plenary council 236

5.4 Who are called to attend the Council? 238

5.5 Who and how many can be invited as guests
to the Council? 243

5.6 Who can vote at the Plenary Council? 246

5.7 Plenary Council agenda 249

5.8 Liturgy at the Plenary Council 252

5.9 How will voting at the Plenary Council take place? 253

5.10 Writing the legislation 257

5.11 Recommendations 258

Some discussion questions 262

Conclusion 267

Appendices 271
1. Open Letter to Pope Benedict XVI and the
Catholic Bishops of Australia (August 2011) 272
2. Open Letter to the Bishops of Australia – ‘Please Listen
and Act Now’ (May 2017) 275
3. A Model Catholic Charter of Rights and Responsibilities
of Christ’s Faithful 278

PAT SAYS

Its wonderful that the Australian Catholics are putting so much effort into reform.

But they are up against the Vatican, the Hierarcht and the Clerical establishment.

People with power never relinquish it easily.

We need a PEOPLE POWER REVOLUTION to achieve RCC reform.

I’m not even sure it can ever happen.

I think the RCC Cancer is not curable 😦

Can you overturn 1700 years of dysfunction?

.