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THE TRAGEDIES OF LIFE.

The tragic nature of life was brought home to me this weekend when a man whose marriage I celebrated 30 years ago came to tell me of his very sad year.

I celebrated the marriage of Peter and Deirdre in The Oratory 30 years ago.

Peter and Deirdre.

Sadly, Deirdre, perished of cancer one year ago yesterday, January 21 st.

That was enough tragedy for anyone for a year of longer.

But nine months Peter and Deirdre’s son Peter (28) died tragically – unable to cope with the loss of his mother.

And, sadly, there was more tragedy.

I celebrated the marriage of friends of theirs in St Peter’s Cathedral 40 years ago and sadly this bride is now also dying of cancer.

Peter’s friend and his bride Kate.

So, yesterday, I offered my 12 noon Mass for Deirdre, Peter Junior and Kate.

I wanted to ask my blog readers to keep these people in your prayers.

Of course, we must accept that tragedy is a fact of life.

And we must also try to find ways of coping with life’s tragedies.

The worst thing that ever happened to me was the death of my mother Jo (Josephine) in August 2006.

Jo

I was the first born of her 17 children.

And she lived with me at The Oratory for the last 16 years of her life.

How did I cope with her loss?

1. Well, first of all I was helped by my faith. I KNEW she was in Heaven and I KNOW I will see her again.

2. I had no problem in allowing myself to weep bitterly and often about her loss. I cried at home in and out of bed. I cried in the car. When it rained I would stop the car and let go completely.

3. I continued to this day talking about her and every chance I get I recall her life in all its detail.

4. I went into bereavement counselling in Belfast – both one to one counselling and, later, group counselling.

Coming towards the end of my counselling I did something I had never even thought about before. I gave Jo my PERMISSION to be gone.

5. On her first anniversary I was having dinner and a drink with 4 friends and some of them were playing music.

All of a sudden one ofbtgem said to me: “Pat, there’s a woman st the door looking gor you”.

I looked at first and thought it eas my sister. Then I realised it was my mother. We all raced to the door and all 5 ofbus saw her standing in the garden beside a beautiful Chinese Lantern tree. She smiled at me and waved at me. I knew she was telling me everything was ok and that she was happy.

That appearance happened at 10.40 pm on the night of August 3rd 2007. It hapoened again at 11.10 pm the same night – and it has never hapoened since.

6. Occasionally I feel her shadow passing me in the house or get a whiff of her favourite perfume.

Do I still miss her?

Of course I do.

Would I bring her back?

I know that’s an impossibility and there’s no point pondering on it.

In ways, she is still here with me.

So I think I have learned how to cope with tragedy:

1. Allow yourself to experience your tragedy in all its force and power and stay with it as a rider stays with a bucking bronco.

2. Cry yourself dry as often as you can and for as long as you can.

3. If you can, pray and believe.

4. Proactively, put yourself into counselling and therapy and stick with it.

5. Give the tragedy permission to been in your life for as long as it wants and takes.

6. Keep as busy as you can and keep out and don’t spend too much time alone.

7. And keep telling yourself that sone day soon it will get better.

8. Spend time with family and friends and do things that give you pleasure and peace of mind.

9. Realise that physical activity is a great antidote to a tormented mind.

As “God” said to the “Athiest” in the film OH GOD starring George Burns and John Denver:

“When you are not normal, behave normal and soon you will feel normal”.

THIS PRAYER HELPS ME WHEN I AM TROUBLED

I Kiss the Wounds…

I kiss the wound on Your Sacred Head,
With sorrow deep and true;
May every thought of mine today
Be a thousand acts of love for You,
Of love for You, dear Lord.

I kiss the wound on Your Sacred Shoulder,
With sorrow deep and true;
May every cross I bear today,
Be a thousand acts of love for You,
Of love for You, dear Lord.

I kiss the wounds on Your Sacred Hands,
With sorrow deep and true;
May every task I do today,
Be a thousand acts of love for You,
Of love for You, dear Lord.

I kiss the wounds on Your Sacred Feet,
With sorrow deep and true,
May every step I take today,
Be a thousand acts of love for You,
Of love for You, dear Lord.

I kiss the wounds in Your Sacred Heart,
With sorrow deep and true;
May every beat of my heart today,
Be a million acts of love for You,
Of love for You, dear Lord.

96 replies on “THE TRAGEDIES OF LIFE.”

Such a wonderful and heartfelt appreciation of people who have suffered.
Your description of your devastation at your mother’s loss is so genuine and raw and its obvious how much you loved her.
Be assured you will meet again and I’m sure she’s immensely proud of how you help so many people and the great work that you do. Nothing prepares us for the loss of our parents, especially when they were such decent and honest people.
You were a great son to her and are a fine example of a decent and humane human being. She’s justifiably very proud,I’m sure of that.

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Thank you for sharing this with us, Bishop Pat. I will light a candle tonight for your friend who is unwell, and for your other friends’ loss and grief.
Losing a loved one is very painful, and as you rightly say, our faith can help us at those and other times.
I believe your mother was telling you she was with God, in heaven, and that she doesn’t want you to worry unnecessary and, that she cares for you more than you very much.
She is still keeping a watch over you because that’s what our mothers do.
—-
I too have had very similar experiences, I will share these beautiful experiences with you all on here.
However, I will wait a little longer until this current legal situation is finalised…
… Cast ye not pearls before swine, is all I will say with regards to those who hurt me and my family – they would try to use anything, even the most holiest of things, to make me out to be unwell. They are not of God.
—-
You are a good man, Bishop Pat, and you are a genuine and caring Bishop and pastor.
God bless you.
Your Son in Christ Jesus,
Peter in Liverpool

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Powerful words there Pat. They are appreciated greatly, in fact they made me come to tears myself which I hate. I fill my pain with drink. Every time I feel emotional pain I drink wine in the evening. It works. I am sober come the morning. But it never heals the wounds. It never could. I don’t like it. But the pain is too much. Thank you. God bless – you – and may he bless me too. And every soul in pain.

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Tommy, drinking does not heal wounds. It give temporary anaesthesia. Wounds are healed by talking, crying, faith, perseverance, etc.
If you want to talk give me an anonymous call. 07488 374364

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Tommy, spend your wine money on decent pots of tea in the mornings and a weaker one in the afternoon. Tea will give you sparkle.

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I have a question to other Readers, do many of you drink to fill the pain? The great thing about the Blog is we can be anonymous, but at the same time talk about real issues.

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Be careful because some here, priests and Cathbots, will poke fun at you all, as they constantly do to Magna. None of these people knows Christ, nor cares about him suffering in others’ pain.

Just a thought.

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10:10am

Have you never thought about the pain Magna inflicts on The Faithful with all his hateful comments on The Church. This troll is never done giving out his ill informed rants, so deserves any retaliation it gets. Regarding Patsy’s experience at the loss of his Dear Mammy, having been threw it it myself it is the most painful loss of all and very hard to bear. Being Catholics we are lucky that we have Our Blessed Lady, Refuge in Grief. Our Heavenly Mother to turn too.
Just a thought.

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10.10: A bizarre and utterly inane comment. Silly, juvenile and absurd. An empty mind.

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At 11.56, two wrongs do not make a right.
You are trying to justify the disgraceful way MC is treated on this blog. There is no excusing sin. You should know better.

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“Of course, we must accept that tragedy is a fact of life.”
True.. but woe to the ones who willfully and deliberately inflict them on others without regard.
    _—————

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Eugene: your comment carries an air of Biblical truth to it.
“And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the great Deceiver of the whole world—she was thrown down to the earth, and her angels were thrown down with her.”
– Revelation 12: 9

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“5. Give the tragedy permission to be in your life for as long as it wants and takes.” This is powerful. Thank you.

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Pat, I’m very affected by the anecdote about your mother. Wish I had had a similar experience when mine passed over four years ago this month. The fact that not just you, but your four friends saw your mother in spirit that night is very telling; of course, the cynics will say that since you all had been drinking…
The only thing I can recount about my mother since she died is a certain dream of mine about her.
I had refused to view my mother’s body when she died, because I knew that this would trouble my dreams there-and-ever-after. As it is, every dream of her since has her as she was when alive and well. But one dream about her, just one, had her in spirit. I knew instinctively that it was her spirit, and I stood up frightened but overjoyed that I was seeing her again. She then said something to me, of which the only word I remember is ‘son’. She turned and went up the stairs of her former home. I followed her, and when I reached the bottom of the stairs, she was already at the top and turning into her old bedroom. I went up and found the bedroom door shut, so I knocked on it. No one answered, and I slowly went in. What I saw amazed me: my mother’s spirit was kneeling, in relaxed but intense prayer with her head bowed and hands joined, by my father’s bed as he was asleep, and right by his head. Such was the absorption of her praying she had neither heard my knock, nor turned to look at me as I entered the room.
I wanted my father to see what I was seeing, since he was grieving so much over her and had recently come through serious surgery. I tried to call out ‘Daddy!’, but the word wouldn’t come.
Some weeks later, I told my father, and one of my sisters, the dream I’d had, and said they could make of it what they wanted. They did not react as I had expected, with cynicism or scorn. On the contrary, they were deeply affected by it, and each was quiet and reflective for a moment. And then I remembered something my mother and I had agreed years before she died. She would, if possible, find a way to reach me after her death, but I made one proviso: please don’t turn up in the middle of the night to have me waken to see your spirit looking down at me. Because however lovingly you do so, I’ll end up a sudden-death corpse there and then.
Did she find a way round my concern?

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Surrexit Petrus ! Alleliuia ! He’s back. And giving it big about the Magisterium and the teaching authority of the Church. Lovely ! Bless ! All is well with the world and the Church !

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Help me see, then, because the point does seem silly. Suffering does not need our permission: it invades.

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I agree. You are right. It does invade.

But how we handle it makes a massive difference.

Any suffering we can eradicate and solve, we should.

But there are some tragedies, like the loss of a loved one that we cannot reverse.

We either accept them and embrace them and work them or we refuse to acknowledge them and we become entrapped by them.

I know it sounds strange.

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By Post Author

Your point, Pat, sounds like the old spiritual adages: ‘accept to suffer; ‘offer it up’. In a nutshell, it sounds just another platitude, in the making, expressed not to sound a platitude, but something deeper. Yes, it has helped you, and oerhaps others. But all the same.

I swear if another person tells me ‘offer it up’, I’ll punch his lights out. ‘Advice’ like this seens to me an attempt to shut a person up, to dismiss him and his pain. At the heart of it…There is no heart there.

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I have never told anyone to “offer it up”. Thats an insult to a person’s suffering.

What I am saying is that there are two ways to approach insoluble tragedy – engage with it or refuse to engage with it.

Engaging with it leads to eventual healing to whatever extent.

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By Post Author

Why don’t GENUINE believers in Christ (not those who claim to believe, but then scoff at others) agree to form a circle of prayer for anyone who requests it, for whatever reason?

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10;48. I think a summary of what Pat is saying in point 5 is simply to accept the things you cannot change, change the things you can and have the ability to know the difference. It works. Believe me!

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Bishop Pats obvious pastoral sympathy and empathy towards those who mourn rooted in the loss of his own mother is very encouraging and heartwarming.
My experience of Catholic clergy when dealing with death, grieving parishioners and the trauma of burial and grief has been lamentable and upsetting.
The Elephants in the Room are his fee for burying your loved one – how much money does he want?
High control – he has to do everything and OK everything – flowers, hymns, readings, eulogy (or not), even car park attendant in a high handed and authoritarian and self important way – rushing at mad pace through the prayers at the graveside – why – he was in a hurry and declares at the graveside he has a meeting with the bishop!!
Inability to sympathise other than with platitudes and clearly immature and lacking life experiences – this much I know many clergy are not gifted when it comes to death and dealing with ordinary parishioners who are suffering and grieving – there should be a course in seminary called ‘It’s not all about you Father.’ I’m grateful Bishop Pat is the exception to the norm – gives me hope!

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!:06pm

Your experience has not been mine, Clergy have always been very supportive and comforting. As for the Stole Fee no amount was ever mentioned they took the offering given. I sense you have your own agenda which is very apparent in your comment.

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1.38: I agree with you. 1.06 has an agenda. There are some who will look for any excuse to condemn clergy. His experience is not the norm by priests. Absolutely not. Begrudgery..Compassion is a quality most priests live when dealing with bereaved families.

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1.58

What’s wrong, Father? Can’t handle the grubby truth about yourselves?

You have been forced, kicking and screaming, to take ownership of your atrocious and cowardly crimes against children and Christ; and you will be forced again, you spineless wonders, to take ownership of the cavalier and high-handed way you treat the bereaved.

Count on it.

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“Blessed are those who mourn” at 1:06pm – I have sadly had many family bereavements. All of the clergy we dealt with as a family were wonderfully kind and compassionate. There was no talk of “fees”. We gladly gave a stipend. The labourers deserve their wages. I’m sorry you had such a bad experience but I don’t think you can say it is “the norm”. That is untrue and unfair.

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The labourer deserves his wages? Seriously? You have prooftexted: taken a biblical line out of context and applied it to a situation that is indefensible.
That line does NOT have the meaning, in situ, that you conveniently attributed to it.
Even Paul the Apostle did not allow himself to be a financial burden, a social leech on the body of nascent Christian communities in the early church: he did ACTUALLY work for a living, but relatively few of today’s priests has any wish to follow his example. Study Pauk’s massive missionary journeys and his pastoral work; they would put in the shade anything done by priests today.
Paul supported himself by continuing to ply his trade as a tentmaker. Not one of these priests today expects to do anything near the amount of work done by the early Christian ministers. Instead, they canonically protect their indolence and self-satisfaction by telling Catholics that they have ‘a grave obligation’ to support these parasites and moochers.
I know how I’d support them.

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The loonies are out today, you know those who have big chips on their shoulders. They make up fantasy stories and lies. I could say the same about GPs in general, rush through appointments, take easy money for completing forms and certs, take little interest in you and what you are doing. It’s so easy isn’t it to generalise and tell porkies also.

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Aren’t priests meant to set a higher moral example than GPs?
Isn’t that why there are priests, to set an example? Otherwise what is the point of them?

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1.06: I do not know where you’re from but such practices – if in existence – are totally unlawful. With the new charities act, the Irish Funeral Directors Association and Dioceses have entered into an agreement whereby all fees are paid by Undertakers at end of month. Thereafter, the money is given to celebrant, altar servers (if any) and sacristan. The amount is agreed by families beforehand. All received cheques from each undertaker has to be recorded for Revenue as has the recipients of any money. This is the correct procedure. If a family cannot meet their requirement, fees are waived. I have done this twice since last November. I believe most priests act very carefully, kindly and sensitively to bereaved families. It is a very difficult task at the moment with the pandemic but the majority of priests find that dealing with bereaved families is a most wonderful ministry during lockdown. Of course you’ll find that some priests – few – do not have the emotional capacity for empathy. That’s to be expected but my experience is more positive. In the last fortnight we’ve had 14 funerals, 3 covid related, and while very difficult witnessing so much grief, myself and my colleague treated all with respect, kindness and empathy. Some commenters seem to want to knock all priests on the evidence of just one or two bad experiences. I agree that all who are in a caring profession, as priests are, should be required to complete bereavement counselling courses. Having been through harrowing family grief over the years, I availed of grief counselling which led me to study bereavement counselling. A wonderful, life enriching benefit for me in ministry. No priest that I know behaves in the way you have described your experience. The majority of priests, thank God, bring a great, pastoral kindness to their work in caring for the sick, housebound and those who are bereaved. Much of this ministry is done quietly as part of our daily ministry. With restrictions, funerals for loved ones are very, very sad and full of pain and grief. I believe we – priests – are doing our utmost.

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1.06pm
I’m glad my experience hasn’t been yours – perceptive and sensitive soul that you so clearly are – you sense agenda whereas I sense in your response nay smell the whiff of clericalism and syncopathy – Stole Fee – who knew!! Shall we agree that we each have different experiences each are valid and valuable and part of the human condition and that an anonymous blog isn’t the forum for thrashing out misunderstandings or perceived or indeed misconceived agendas!!
Ps. No subject is more sensitive and incendiary than the fee paid for the administration of a sacrament or in the case of burying the dead – a corporal act of mercy.

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2:07pm

I sense in your response anti-clericalism and dislike, I agree that we each have different experiences but too many like you on this blog always bash priests. I take it that you find my experiences although not the same are as valid as yours.
Ps .I am sure you’re one of those who don’t like paying for anything. You’d probably give out to Patsy who charges £300 for the sacrament of marriage. I am quite happy to pay for any Mass or Sacrament requested by me. “The Lord love’s a cheerful giver”

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2.07
Most people on this blog have likely never heard of corporal acts of mercy.
Most people on this blog have an agenda against the Catholic Church
Love, Hope and Charity and the Greatest of these is Love.

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Pope Francis compared Catholics who deny the teachings of Vatican II with bishops who left the church after Vatican I.
“Today, they ordain women,” said Francis. “The severest attitude, to guard the faith without the magisterium of the church, brings you to ruin.”

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To guard the faith without the Magisterium of the Church?

Would this be the magisterium that had long morally approved capital punishment (but has now done a u-turn on it) and still approves so-called just war, all involving the deliberate and wilful destruction of human life in total opposition to Christ’s teaching to love even enemies and that same magisterium’s bullshit that human life is sacred?

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1.38pm
And what agenda might that be?
Clergy and their devotees rattle easily when criticised – and clearly touching a nerve here – why is it so hard to accept that I had a bad experience with clergy conducting the funerals I attended – after all we know from this blog that the clergy abuse children, cover up crime, embezzle, need I go on and oh yes can lack the prerequisite pastoral skills in burying the dead or caring for those who mourn – take your response to my message – you jump straight to I have an agenda (a common clerical position when criticised) without even a drop of empathy or compassion!!

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Yes, the RC clergy, and their defending cronies, do not like to be criticised.
As for myself, my funeral instructions are clear: no priest must officiate.
I don’t want any kiddie-fiddling, mammon worshipping-scroungers and moochers anywhere near my mortal remains.
Won’t have the occasion infected with Romanism.

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2:50pm

You don’t need to worry Polly no priest would go near you, I’d advise no one else either when you go into the furnace with all the gargle in you the whole of Downpatrick will go up.

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2.59: More peddling of hatred. Magser, who on earth would want to officiate at your funeral…Anyway, you are already emotionally, morally and spiritually dead. Your rhetoric is symptomatic of your dysfunctionality. Even today on a subject of sensitivity and human emotion – loss, grief, pain and suffering – your heart is rockhard and pitiable. No humanity evident. Hatred is a horrible virus. It’s eating you to shreds.

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2.59: Magna, as much as you deserve contempt, disdain and reprimanding because of your hatred, I would love the opportunity to be present on your death bed as you would experience tender, loving care from my presence. You’d be wrapped in the best of white, baptismal garments, anointed with fragrant oils and have blessings administered to you, – the beautiful prayers from the Rite of Christian (Catholic) Funerals. I would do this because I somehow feel it would be the only time you may receive such human and Christian love and compassion…Thereafter I entrust you to God’s mercy!! And I will waive all Church fees and ask your kinsfolk to give to St. V. de Paul..

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2:20pm
You’ve just answered your own question, why are you bringing up clergy abuse, cover up etc.when we are talking about empathy compassion and pastoral skills. The agenda you have is your hatred of the clergy and it show’s clearly in your comment.

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But you express hatred and nastiness towards everyone who dares to question the priests, whom you blindly idolise.

What would you, or they, know of empathy, compassiin, tenderness?

Your own behaviour on this blog most of the time is shocking, a lesson in what Christianity is not.

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1.54
How could you know where I am from? It’s an anonymous blog!
I’m glad you agree that there are priests who lack empathy – that was my experience – I read an article some years ago in a paper of record that quoted an undertaker saying that Catholic clergy were the worst the very worst in dealing with the bereaved – I believe it because that’s been my experience – it’s rather like saying I’ve had a terrible experience involving a priest and you saying – that’s not my experience and I doubt that ever happened! It’s a clerical mindset – some priests are good at funerals – many are not!! Deal wit it!!

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3:29pm
And your hatred and anti-clericalism is not shocking! I suppose because you’re not a Christian you think you can say what you like. But anyone with a contrary point of view has to put up with your vile personnel insults.

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2.33: I still think you are being totally disingenuous and untruthful. However, since we too are human, we can be temperamental at times….just like most people! As for funeral undertakers…..I could tell you stories about undertaker that wouldn’t be very kind. I’ve often had to make complaints about their behaviour. It’s so easy now to take a shot at priests but such attitudes do not affect the quality of my ministry.

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My own experience was the undertakers just added a minister’s fee on to the bill and that it wasn’t negotiable. This wouldn’t presumably stop the sheep pressing an envelope into ‘fathers’ hand.
As it happens it was worth it because our mother was a trendy 60s type of Catholic but put it into her will she wanted her funeral done by the PP of the parish she was living in at her death.
Because of the parish she lived in she got a black Latin mass….
Be careful what you wish for.

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3.14: I presume Magna, you also uncl6de Pat as a “parazite” since he too charges a fee for his services and ministry, and rightly so. Or do you forward any donation to him for his ministries? Just wonderin’ like…. Trust that you particularly would print such hatred!! No surprise.

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4.07

NO cleric is necessary at anyone’s funeral. None. Zilch!

If only families realised their infantile dependence on these men, social leeches, they would save themselves a ton of money and grief at a particularly vulnerable and expensive time, when they are easily exploitable.

Families could then personalise their own services: choose the hymns/songs, etc…without having to run it past some priest-parasite-moocher for his rapacious approval. Services then would be so much more meaningful, and memorable for all the right reasons.

BTW, I’m glad you agree with me that RC priests are parasites particularly on these occasions…since you didn’t disagree.

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The poster at 4.07, did Jesus charge for his ‘services’. You know, his miracles and the like?
Jesus sent out his disciples to do as he had done, not as he didn’t do. And this includes not charging for works that actually are his.
How dare ANY minister of the Gospel charge for the LORD’S work when Jesus hinself made no charge!

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It is not a fee, really. A priest does not have a day job and then do services and pastoral work in their spare time.
Pastoral ministry, priesthood, is a serious life-commitment and they have to eat and pay bills just like everybody else.
It is when our clergy are OTT in this regard that people get annoyed – BMWs or Mercedes cars and all that capper.
When we have a genuine pastor who is committed, loving and caring for his or her flock, then they are entitled to an ordinary income like the rest of us.
They have to put food on the table as well, remember.

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4.21: Incidentally, MC, humanist “celebrants” CHARGE much more than is given to a cleric for their services!! and remember the wirds of Jesus – the labourer deserves his wages…Sorry, Mr. hater, but I ain’t no parasite. On the contrary, I’m a very……..kind person and give much to others. Ask God to help you.

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None of the churches in the UK where the Old Roman Mass is said daily are parish churches so it’s impossible that the funeral was an Old Rite Requiem Mass without it being the specific request of the family, there are no diocesan parish priests regular saying requiem masses almost all wouldn’t know how to

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2.20pm
Did I miss something? Is there a rule about what can and can’t be discussed on this blog? So let me see – if the accent is on compassion and care etc then it’s not the form to share an experience ad odds with the prevailing view!!
My dear man (woman) I don’t have the time, energy or inclination to hate the clergy or anybody to be honest – I wished I did but got bigger fish to fry ya see – and God love em – the clergy are doing a cracking job themselves at cocking it up and digging their own graves with a relentless efficiency – much love. x

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I doubt this post has any sincerity at heart!

When writing this did you spare thought for those you mock and scorn about their respective Mums? Eamon Martin comes to mind as you continue to abuse him with callous regard for his late mother.

I’ve prayed for your late Mother and the intentions you offered Mass for on Sunday.
I just wish and pray you would become a better person filled with gifts of compassion and mercy.

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And do please +Pat keep me in your prayers also as I struggle from time to time with the troubles in life that challenges us all.
Life is so short, live and let live. Please God we all will have a share of the Heaven above we’re we all live in harmonious peace with one another.

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Pat, some commenters have posted appropriate reflective comments on a lovely, sensitive topic but as soon as MC and a small band of like minded “haters” appear, the blog descends into the usual tit for tat hateful, insulting tirade. What a pity you are allowing this to happen. You know that the majority of priests act reasonably kind and caringly with bereaved families and those with struggles and sufferings, yet you are enabling a most negative, lying narrative take hold. What a shame. Even I have been torn to shreds with what I thought was a fair and balanced contribution!

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Credit where due. I live in an old parish in the East End of Glasgow. Our PP, Canon Tom White, throughout the present pandemic, has celebrated and live-streamed Requiem Mass for all parishioners who have died. He has also added photographic montages of the deceased and included favourite hymns and songs or music. These are very personal tributes and require a lot of preparation and input. This has been done for the deceased whether their remains have been brought into the chapel or not.
In cases where a coffin hasn’t come into the chapel he has also provided the crematorium or cemetery service.
Canon Tom’s care and practices has brought much consolation and support to his parishioners and is greatly appreciated.

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Carlton Chas
You can thank the late Archbishop Tartaglia for that as the last PP was removed for charging XXX and the stories were shocking.
However the Priest has been C/o Clyde Street for a while.
I have never known a Priest to get more than £50 from the Funeral Directors yet Humanists or Independent celebrants charge up to £250.00

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For a funeral (in England) last year when I got the funeral directors itemized bill the minister’s fee was £300. For a RC priest.
Come off it.

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4.31pm
Bishop Pat can ably defend himself however I’m always amazed by the inability of Professional Clerics to understand the gift of freedom of speech, the notion that people can completely disagree with them without rushing to the old worn out canards and tropes of ‘’agenda’ ‘haters’ etc
God Bless Bishop Pat for fostering freedom of speech and expression- why don’t you put your Big Boy Pants on and understand that you don’t have a God given right not to be offended.
I can’t imagine you watch Father Ted but Fr Jack does this ‘I’m so so sorry’ and that’s how I feel about you when you go running to Bishop Pat because you don’t agree with human beings expressing their colourful and myriad of views and opinions!! Get those Big Boy pants on and as my hero Tommy Tiernan would say – Stop Being a Woman of a Man!!
Ps. You need to get out more this Blog is moderated superbly compared to many others!!

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Yes absolutely. They intend to sow that seed of doubt in people’s minds.
It is exactly the same strategy used by all abusers – that criticism is wrong and anyone hurt by the church is at fault.
Perhaps the best example of this is actually Magna Carta, whose distress and trauma ( and I think shame given that he was taken in by this shower but came to his senses) is palpable. All the Cathbots can do is bellow that he’s an alcoholic.
This of course merely reinforces the contention that the RC church is an agent of corruption and abuse, not of healing, which of course it is.

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4.55: Yes, freedom of speech…with responsibility for the conseques for what you say. Stay on the subject matter for today. Please.

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3.41pm

Funny that how you ‘sense’ anticlericalism and dislike whereas I ‘sense’ clericalism and the pungent whiff of moral superiority along the lines of Catherine Tate’s character, ‘How very dare you’ criticise the clergy etc.
Your PS was made me laugh out loud (LOL) – not only do you ‘sense’ but you are ‘sure’ I am one of those who don’t like paying for anything – a delicious assumption given you can’t possibly know anything about me – actually I admire Bishop Pat’s upfront and candid approach to fees etc – now its my time to ‘sense’ and feel ‘sure’ – but I ‘sense’ and feel ‘sure’ that you are nowhere near as upfront and candid as Bishop Pat about your fees for the sacrament of marriage, celebrating the Eucharist, Baptism and Burying the Dead – but by all means publish them here on this Blog – thank God the sacrament of reconciliation and the anointing of the sick are FOC – as for an ordination – the good Lord himself knows what kind of money changes hands for one of these because no one ever talks about it!! How much for an ordination these days?

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In some trad organisations you have to finance your own training. In most cases though you pay for your ordination by demonstrating your willingness to keep your gob shut and see nothing.

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4.21: Pat, while you should exercise greater discretion re: MC, I’m glad you have published his comments today as they should finally prove his complete childishness, immaturity and brokenness as a person in every way. He is to be pitied, prayed for and – we should not engage with him in his present state of mind. Kindness, charity and compassion is what he requires….

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Death, I think, is complete peace. Complete peace in the presence of others. All else is a mystery.,

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8.05: Pat, you should prevent MC from contributing as you did before. He is incapable of rational, respectful and nirmal behaviour. We give him the sense of feeling relevant by printing his comments. The adverse effect is vicious and nasty commentary. Please let him go…

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It must be difficult for a Britishist to hear that his and his constituency’s affection for the UK is a case of unrequited love. And that there are more imminent nails in their coffin to be negotiated: Scottish elections in May; an advisory referendum; a second independence referendum; and a border poll. All thanks to Brexit.

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8.03

You sound extremely pompous and supercilious, Father.

We like Magna. He tells truths you don’t like, and don’t want aired. No wonder you don’t like him.

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That woman is placing our children and vulnerable adults in clear danger.
Somebody needs to take necessary action in my opinion. Unbelievable!
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httpss://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/catholic-order-allows-accused-child-19727201

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All together now,
Nothing has changed and the RC church has made only the slightest of cosmetic changes to prevent child abuse.
Significant that the other brothers were allowing him in to the school, i.e. helping him break the terms of his safeguarding supervision.
This is also an interesting case because an attempt at conviction had failed through technicalities so that legal punishment for him wouldn’t be possible and the supervision was the only thing which aimed to prevent him abusing children.

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