I wanted to be a priest from the age of 4.
From the age of 8 my parish was Mother of Divine Grace Ballygal, Dublin.
The first PP was Fr John Pierce, later Canon Pierce of Rathmines Parish.
Pierce was a very well turned out and dignified looking man with a reputation for being holy and a little fussy – but a really good man.
Our curates were Fr Joe Collins,(1924 – 1979) a Kerry man, and Fr Michael Lambe.
Of the two Fr. Collins was the most spiritual but both curates did trojan work building a completely new parish.
I was greatly modified by Frs Pierce and Collins and particularly wanted to be a priest like Joe Collins who combined prayerfulness and community action.
Father Collins later went on to be PP of Donaghamede in Dublin and was the founder of the now famous Father Collins Park – an environmental project 40 years ahead of it’s time.
None of these priests ever talked about “alter Christus” or ontological change. They were good human beings bent on serving God and others.
When I went into Clonliffe Seminary it was generally a place of good behaviour, prayer and study.
I was aware of a very small number ( 2 – 3) out of 120 who were actively gay – but in the discreetest possible way.
I had absolutely no sexual encounters of any kind in Clonliffe – 1970 – 1973 and when I was asked to leave in 1973 for “immaturity” reasons the college president BishopJoseph Carroll said that “morally he is above reproach”. I know this now after Diarmuid Martin gave me copies of my file.
In St John’s Waterford with 60 seminarians I only knew of 1 who messed about in a homosexual way.
I was modified by the priests there too – especially Monsignor John Shine and Father Tony Hayes the Rosminian.
How we have we, in 50 years, got to the stage where seminaries are now gay whore houses – with both priests and seminarians involved.
What kind of system has produced Paul Prior, Michael Lomasney, Chris Derwin, Rory Coyle, McCamley, Gorgeous, King Puck, JP Lyttle, etc, etc.
And why are these men so into seeing themselves as “alter Christus” and ontologically changed?
Jesus never got up to what they are getting up to.
Is the alter Christus thing a cover for something else? – the carnal masquerading as the pure?
Is it an actual mocking of spiritual realities?
Can readers please help?
What has gone wrong in the last 40 / 50 years to turn generally good men into orgiasts?
BISHOP PAT BUCKLEY 