*** I have offered not to publish the totality of this letter if the Nuncio asks me not to, and promises decisive action by Rome.
HE Archbishop Jude T. Okolo
Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland
183 Navan Road, Dublin 7
Republic of Ireland
Via E-mail: na.ireland@diplomat.va and hardcopy.
Ref: Rt. Rev’d Dom Richard Purcell, OCSO.
THE BEGINNING
Your Excellency,
Respectfully, I direct your attention to the affidavit annexed to the present sworn before a Co. Antrim-based notary public. Therein, a number of allegations of sexual misconduct are averred against the current Abbot and Ordinary of Mount Melleray Abbey, the Rt. Rev’d Dom Richard Purcell, OCSO. During my seminary formation in Waterford, I visited Mount Melleray Abbey on several occasions. It is a place that is deeply close to my heart, and indeed the hearts of a great number of people in Ireland. It is a monastery founded during the persecution of the church in France that has been a source of immeasurable spiritual succour to a multitude of faithful both in Ireland, and across the globe. It gives me no pleasure whatsoever to be writing this letter; it is, in fact, a source of considerable personal sadness.
CONCLUSION
As a fair-minded and reasonable individual I am sending you a copy of this letter as a PDF, which will be followed-up by a signed hardcopy. It is my intention to publish a copy of same on my blog, however, I will not do so — if I receive a request from the Nunciature not to publish same.
The future of the Irish Cistercians is far too important to permit inaction. To this extent, I respectfully request that you transmit a copy of this letter and the attached affidavit to the Secretariat of State of the Holy See with a request that this matter is brought to the attention of, HE João Card. Braz de Aviz the Prefect of the competent Dicastery. I further request that the Dicastery launch an immediate investigation into these allegations, and an important positive first step would be the appointment of an individual by a Decree authorised to conduct an investigation into these allegations in accordance with the dictates of Canon Law, cf Canon 1717, and the law proper of the Order of the Cistercians of the Strict Observance. If, Dom Richard Purcell, OCSO, refuses to step aside, the Dicastery can be invited to render a Decree forcing the imposition of an interim superior on Mount Melleray Abbey, and/or an apostolic administrator for a period of eighteen (18) months.
An important further step would be for the Dicastery to write to the Ordinary of the Diocese of Waterford requesting the peremptory suspension of the faculties of Dom Richard Purcell to minister in that canonical territory.
Respectfully, in Christ, I remain,
Most sincerely yours,
+ Patrick Buckley
Presiding Bishop
The Oratory Society
PAT SAYS
Anyone who mistakingly thought the Richard Purcell case had gone aware was gravely mistaken.
A number of people, including long time devotees of Mount Melleray have been working hard on this case.
This includes civil lawyers in Ireland and canon lawyers in Rome.
All of these people will not give up until this case gets sorted.
BISHOP PAT BUCKLEY 
97 replies on “DOM RICHARD PURCELL – OPENING AND CLOSING OF LETTER SENT TO IRISH PAPAL NUNCIO.”
I predict Dom Richard will be next abbot president of the OCSO.
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Wouldnt surprise me at all.
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9.54: MYOB…..Big girlie blouse…go and do something relevant and worthwhile..you wrecker of people…
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Hi Dick. See you in the sauna later. 😘
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the HOLY MONK don RicHard Persil is like JESUS on the CROSS for his body is being POUNDED with BIG NAILS being driven in by wicked men the HOLY GOD is ANGRY at the PIERCINGS of his HOLY SERVANT for there is no bottom to which these wicked men will not sink
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LOL very good.
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Anon@ 1:22. ((AKA THE HOLY GID)
I hear that fella who goes round putting up the “REPENT YOU MUST BE SAVED” signs in Norn Iron needs someone to hold his ladder for him. You seem just ‘the man.’ Would you be interested?
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Tom, Dick and Harry lol 🤣
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Pat, do we really have to put up with the halfwit drivel of the semi-literate, Proddy-sounding poster at 1.22am?
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Yes indeed. In all things we need balance. The blog has some other more intelligent less idiotic commentators.
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“The future of the Irish Cistercians is far too important to permit inaction.”
+Pat, I completely agree with the above words. I am pleased and saddened to see the Richard Purcell matter back on the blog. From what you have published I can see it is a very good letter. I suspect you have had professional assistance. I liked the reference to the potential imposition of an interim superior on Mount Melleray Abbey that is a nice touch. If you are wrong about Purcell then he should welcome the opportunity to vindicate his name.
Eventually the church will be forced to do something about Purcell if enough pressure is applied. They will be resistant and deeply resentful because Purcell is a prelate with all the accretions of the ring, mitre, and the pectoral cross. And they will hate to be seen to be jumping to your tune. If a number of lay people are involved in exposing Purcell that is a horse of a different colour. Also it will mean they cannot be silenced by a misguided understanding of obedience because the days of deference to church figures in Ireland are gone. In the past, you were very clear on the blog that the allegations about Purcell were known to the Abbot General. Why then is he protecting Purcell? If you are correct then you will have been responsible for taking down a significant ecclesiastical figure in Ireland.
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You could say literally the same about Farnborough Abbey.
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Now there’s a can of worms which will wriggle out one day…..!
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Oh the worms are out and the congregation has known full well for decades. They really are foolish.
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It is not + Pat who is bringing down ecclesiastical figures. It is the ecclesiastical figures who are bringing themselves down. Just as they have done in the past few decades by their egregious abuse and coverup of the vulnerable. They have nobody but themselves to blame. This Rawhiding Abbot has nobody but himself to blame for his appearing by name on. this blog. He could just do the decent thing and resign / retire / go into a life of prayer and penance rather than trying to hold out with a brass neck. + Pat is perfectly entitled and right to point out the hypocrisy and scandal in this man’s behaviour. Trying to cover up for him, as some evidently want to do, is what clerics have done for decades. And where has that got us ?
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@11:27
What a drama queen. You make it sound like the Clash of the Titans, instead of the Clash of the Flower House.
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It needs sorting out, that sort of shit can’t go on and, certainly not without so much as being questioned. It’s not only detrimental to the church—the body of Christ as a whole, it’s damaging to individual people’s faith, from what we can gather in this unfolding.
Remember, when a priest or minister—anybody in a clerical collar or garb—does these “things”, it’s Christianity as a whole which is ridiculed.
This Dom Dickie character isn’t just breaking his promise which he made before the community—like having a boyfriend or girlfriend “on the quiet”—he’s going to gay brothel / saunas and bedding any fella he can and, on the way to. It’s bang out of order and there’s NO EXCUSE for that sort of all-out promiscuous behaviour from a supposedly grown up priest / minister in his 40s.
With certain life choices comes certain boundaries, and Tom Dickie ain’t taking his
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The Nuncio is so obviously a huge girl, as does the Abbot General. I doubt these two ageing actresses can resolve this matter to your satisfaction, Bp Pat.
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7.02: With your racist and ageist remarks, which are repulsive and abhorrent, you certainly should not have any relevant roles of responsibility or management. You are a filthy pervert.
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Oh he won’t have, don’t worry. He’ll be a priest for sure.
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If I say I prefer vanilla ice-cream to chocolate, does this make me a white supremacist, 8.59?
You are a very silly boy. You must be spanked.
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Bp Pat, have you set a time limit for the daisy dumpling to answer your letter? I wonder.
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I imagine the response will be to bury the head in the sand and hope that it will all go away. So, whilst I appreciate your courtesy to the Nuncio to give him a decent chance to respond, I think you will be disappointed and so I expect that you will need to publish the rest of the letter, and the detail, on this blog. I look forward to reading it. Another element will be a sense of arrogant outrage on the part of the Nuncio that you are so impertinent to point out this detail about Rawhide to him. He probably still works on the principle that people like you and me should know our places and not dare to second guess what they – the clerics – do and say. That will still be the case in the Church in Nigeria from whence he hails, but they will eventually catch up with us. He really does need to realise that we don’t just pray and pay these days. We ask awkward questions and we are quite capable of thinking for ourselves, seeing things for ourselves and making up our own minds. And, from what I have seen and know, Purcell is a hypocrite, a liar, and a man who engages recklessly in dangerous sexual practices – barebacking – with anonymous random people in a gay sauna. Oh, and by day he plays at being a monk and an abbot !
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9.00
The people outside the Church do not know the mechanics of it as all the Nuncio will say points noted even if he does acknowledge it.
So you will likely see the rest of Pat’s communications next Saturday.
Archbishop Jude has informed the faithful and Bishops he is the MESSENGER.
So it will all be sent to Rome for the two Cardinals to address and signed off by Pope Francis.
Archbishop Jude has NO authority in Ireland as he is an Administrator and papal representative.
If Rome does anything it may ask A Bishop, Brendan Coffey and an independent.
Archbishop Jude has under a year left in Ireland and will be glad to get a new appointment.
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As long as she takes PrEP before and after sex, that reduces the risk of getting HIV. It’s only about £30.00 a month nowadays, but free in Scotland for Scottish abbots and monks.
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Archbishop Jude Okolo looks like a man who takes a daily stroll to Calvary and back… so it’s nothing to see here for Purcell.
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Hi Pat. How long have you given him to respond and when will you publish the full letter?
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I’ll give him a week.
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10.33…And then what??? Will you.narvh with your army of thugs or lynch mob to burn the monastery? You are NOT OF CHRIST.
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No. Violence is wrong.
We will pursue these matters through well thought out and planned measures and procedures.
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Yeah Christ left the money changers in the temple didn’t he. 🤣
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Did you send a courtesy copy to the +Aul Doll, Bp Pat, I wonder? She is, after all, the great primate of the island.
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She got a copy of the important affidavit.
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Excellent. I hope you addressed the envelope correctly.
https://cache.sharesome.com/file/sharesome/uploads/user-images/u936899/z5nncn-eunbilzqt3-o.jpg
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Even the BBC is picking up on the arguments within the ranks of the US bishops about Biden and holy communion: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-57531070 They seem intent on driving themselves in to a traditionalist, right wing, rigourist corner, and have been warned by the Vatican about the dangers of doing so. It looks for the world like a group of men trying to make up for everything they have done wrong over decades, and swinging back to a right wing agenda, hoping that people will think them right on and uber Catholic. it won’t work. Most Catholics in the US are not of that shade anymore. This will backfire on the bishops. Also, Francis will make them pay for ignoring his instructions.
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I’ve got popcorn in to watch this.
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(Arch)Episcopal Exiles to Block Island? ( In the Diocese of Providence Block Island was said to be the place of punishment for priests in trouble with the Bishop.)
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If they can laicise a Cardinal for noncing an abbot who allegedly frequents gay saunas for unprotected anal sex will be a walk in the park. How has this man got the nerve to walk out onto the sanctuary if this is true?
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12.11
Of course the Holy See can Laicise any members of the Episcopate, Clergy and Religious.
However it is done on Justice and Truth.
And really there is NOTHING in Canon Law that can bring any cases against Bishop Alphonsus Cullinan and Abbot Purcell and both will be in post for decades to come.
Rome, Papal Nuncio, Archbishops and Bishops of Ireland just send emails from bishopbuckley1@outlook.com straight to junk or if by post straight to the shredder.
As stated this week they will get on with doing what they have been asked by Pope Francis and that is to administer dioceses in Ireland.
Maybe they are All have their heads in the sand and they intend to keep it that way.
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2.05
Phonsie is early 60’s 61-62. So hopefully not for decades.
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To wit to woo and in pluribus unibus CIEbus Will any of this hi powered speak make any difference
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2.05
Will be nearly Two decades when he retires God willing..
Strong possibility that Bishop Cullinan is adding Cloyne to his dioceses 2026.
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6.12
Idle speculation. Not going to happen. Jim S. at it again self-deluding he has the inside track on every diocese in the British Isles.
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Bishop P. Genuine question. Why is it your life’s mission to publish wrong doing in the RCC when you aren’t even a member of it? Surely what time you have left on earth should be spend on prayer, penance, on your own Catholic Church and of course on your relationship with your partner? Let it go!
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‘If you’re not a thorn in somebody’s side, you’re not doing Christianity right.’ Mother Angelica
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😁
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Here, here; I totally agree with that! 😚 x
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The RCC institution is evil and all Christians are called upon to call out and oppose evil.
Its also important to free people from the grasp if the RCC.
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Fr Peter, you mean:
🎵’ Let it be. Let it be. Let it be. Let it be. Na-na-na.’ 🎵
Thinking about it. 🤔
NAH! 😀
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Pat, the crank complaints of an excommunicated bogus bishop will carry no credibility in church circles. Like it or not you are regarded as a renegade unworthy of a hearing.
Abbot Richard is safe. Go fuck your bought-on-the-internet husband.
Deo Gratias!
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Cadfael you bitter auld queen. Bet you regularly take it raw from the abbot.
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A truly Roman Catholic comment.
We’re getting to you, aren’t we 🥳
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I am not working alone on this case.
I am working with life long devotees of Mount Melleray, who are investibg heavily in this case alongside barristers and canonists.
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Bishop Pat.
You are advising the life long devotees of Mount Melleray as they would be better to try the lotto or the Euromillions.
As the saying goes another one bites the dust.
How many of the poor could the pains in the A*** assist as that would be better spent there than on barristers and canon laws as the Church is just saying noted.
And for spite the Archbishop and Abbott will get promoted.
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Let’s see. There are more agencies involved than the church.
And in the end God Himself will act.
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You’re not Brother Cadfael, at 12.31; you’re an impostor, like Tricky-Dicky Purcell. Cadfael would never speak in that way.
Go put an onion up your left nostril and whistle Compline down the other. It’ll chasten your tongue from horrid sin.
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Cadfael
Exactly because as Tina says 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GC5E8ie2pdM
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Pat, well done on sending the letter to the Nuncio. It will make no different. But, when it all explodes the church cannot say it didn’t know.
I appreciate it is not his role to deal this filth, however, this scandal needs to be sorted, sooner rather than later.
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You really have got the holy priests rattled today, Pat. Could that possibly be there are yet more scandals to come?
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Of course, there are – many.
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With regard to the “nasty”, “priestly” responses to +Buckley, perhaps all priests who have been suspended and laicized after a “credible” accusation was made against them should respond in a similar fashion. Apparently, “credible” has a different meaning or is “diversely” applied when allegations involve those who walk on the rainbow flag waving “wild side”
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Excellent comment. Cut “straight” to the issue.
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Pat how are you coping with the stress of the attacks from Armagh Clergy .
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Holy water off an ugly duckling’s back 😁
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Rev Stephen Wilson hates you Pat.
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As Stephen Wilson once said to Richard Purcell, keep your friends close but your enemies closer.
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REVVING-END Stephen hates anyone who loves Christ.
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Farrell has lots of changes coming in Dublin. He’s going to appoint a new team over the next few weeks…
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@ 3:22 P.M Like what and like who ? Please tell.
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Archbishop Farrell Has set up a committee and the report has to be with him by end of July.
So is a few weeks six.
Archbishop Farrell will then need to consult with his consulters and then Parish Pastoral Councils.
Some Clergy 75 plus years of age do not want to retire as Parish Priests so it is difficult for him.
Everyone has been told early September however maybe you know something more than his acting Chancellor.
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While it is true that the Apostolic Nuncio has no jurisdiction; he is the eyes and ears of the church. However, if this continues and gets traction in Ireland, the Holy See will act.
I think the letter is well-drafted. Like many commentators on the blog earlier today, I, too think it is unlikely that the Nuncio will respond, so I look forward to reading the entire letter, soon.
If anyone who has sexually active with Purcell comes forward – he is finished.
Likewise, it is only a matter of time before “Mystical Mark Kirby” will have to face the music.
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I so want to purchase Stephen Wilson’s former Ryanair Cabin crew uniform attire. 🏳️🌈👯♂️
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Oh, that was on Ebay ages ago in order to raise funds for his ordination lace bits. Too late, I’m afraid. Still has some stains on it, as well.
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Was the trolley dolly a mile high club member?
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Rcc will say to him ‘ nothing to see here’ as they are in totally entrenched position.
They are like camels whose heads are in the sand hoping that it all pass away and die out eventually.
Thats their MO.
Another scenario which rcc might do is to spite the owner of this blog by promoting Purcell
to abbot General to replace Fitzgerald (who is also a chairman of towards healing with no qualifications in this role).
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You would need hard earned evidence from someone who had sex with Purcell to come forward and tell the whole truth.
That would finish him cos others were hearsay or gossip which couldn’t be backed up.
Evidence, evidence my dear was my memory of Rumpole speaking in a TV series of Rumpole.
Otherwise it would be a damp squib for anti Purcell supporters if it didn’t work out at the end cos no evidence.
Affidavit is NOT evidence.
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But affidavits are admissible in courts.
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6.02pm
Yes I checked while ago as you are correct on admissible in civil courts.
Does it apply to Vatican Roma tribunals? 🤔
It will take ages to get this over with cis its going in a snail pace due to Cov19 situation and backlog of cases not sorted out during the pandemic.
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This may not be sorted out in court at all !!!
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Come out the Dream it is going nowhere near a court as there is nothing for the courts.
The Church will do what it wants with it’s Clergy and Religious and it only lay staff that the Church would take to court for wrong doings.
As Alphonsus said what would they be taking anyone to court for is the guy from the boiler house going to stand up it is laughable but giving many a thrill.
If someone breaks their vows it is a church matter and not a court matter.
btw Ger Fitzgerald will be back for the Mass of Chrism and then a Diocesan appointment.
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This will not be sorted in court, but in another way.
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Yes, they most certainly are. Including by the Police and other investigative bodies.
An affidavit is a sworn statement of facts and sworn under oath.
In a civil court, they can be chopped, changed and altered til the cows come home by permission by the presiding judge—however, a sworn affidavit cannot be changed in a criminal arena…
it is, and always will be: a sworn statement of fact, sworn under oath, in the criminal arena.
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“But affidavits are admissible in courts.”
Does this suggest that a Bishop in the southwest was smart to use one? Some of us a couple of weeks back thought the bishop has been pretty smart to be honest.
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Would the abbot perjurer himself in court?
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My hunch? Yes.
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6.09, sure didn’t the Jerusalem clergy, the holy men, perjure themselves that night before the Sanhedrin and early the next day before Pilate?
Always beware the holy men. 😒
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6.09
Yes an Abbot would lie in a Court.
Just like Monks lie to the Abbot.
Priests and Deacons Lie to their Bishops.
Some Clergy and Religious have NO conscious.
It has been proven on this blog how Clergy Lie time and Time again
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Nuncio at navan Rd is only passing the buck to the Vatican curia from others. That’s all that he would do cos he doesn’t make decisions except for recommendations. I don’t think he would last long here.
It’s not far from ex alma Mater school Cabra,just up the road.
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Best solution for us as anti Purcell supporters is to stop giving money to Roscrea or Mt Melleray or Glenstal. Cos you would be funding their double lives lifestyle and also accessory to sin as well.
This blog made me realise this re double lives and using our money from church collections as well.
Let me remind you that we have no say whatsoever , where does our money go to after donating or giving away our euros in their church collections. Its abbot or PP or Bishop, who decides this as to where will that money go to.
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OMG. almost as frequent as Magna, is there a competition to see who posts the most ???????????
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Er, no. 🤔
Whatever gave you that idea? 😎
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FYI
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9.50pm anon
Your article was blocked by nyt cos its outside America.
Brief snippet is here:
Francesco Lepore, a brilliant young gay Latin translator and priest. He soared through the ranks, directly serving Popes Benedict XVI and Francis, until, as a gay man, he found a way to quit his post because he couldn’t abide the double life he was forced to lead, or the rancid hypocrisy of the whole system. He says he saw everything from the inside: “He has had several lovers among archbishops and prelates; he has been propositioned by a number of cardinals, whom we discuss: an endless list.
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Lepore features quite prominently in Frederic Martel’s “In the Closet of the Vatican: Power, Homosexuality, Hypocrisy”. It is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand how the RCC functions.
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From the article on the ex-priest. Sound a bit familiar?
“He bumped into priests he knew at cruising spots and various bathhouses, including one in a building owned by the Vatican. He said he went to drug-fueled parties at the Abbey of Montecassino, which traces its roots back to St. Benedict.”
This is presumably a reference to the bacchanalian days of the Abbot Pietro Vittorelli, who laundered hundreds of thousands of euros to fuel his party lifestyle.
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DG. Referring to these claims of rancid hypocrisy, are there any reasons to doubt their veracity? Because if they’re accurate and true, it confirms what many suspect. By this I refer to the whole big “con-job” of the RCC HQ’s duplicity, and, by extrapolation the whole religious farrago.
MMM
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Thanks, dear Deaf Guy! Looks like someone corrected it.
Reggie wore plumbers’ outfits that he purchased In Milwaukee evert year, but I understand he was buried in his habit. It was quite an experience to see the Swiss Guard salute him as he led us through the byways of the Vatican. They all loved him.
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