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SACRAMENTS – CHANNELS OF GRACE – MEANS OF CLERICAL CONTROL.

As a Catholic I fully believe in the 7 Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance, Marriage, Holy Orders and the Sick.

But I do not believe that God and His Grace is absolutely confined to the Sacraments.

The Spirit blows where it will and God is free to act in countless and indefinite ways and does so every day.

God’s Grace is not confined to Catholics either but is available to all and given to all.

God was clearly at work in Martin Luther King, Mahatma Ghandi, Nelson Mandela  Dietchrich   Bonhoeffer and a myriad of other non Catholics.

I do not believe that the Roman Catholic Institution is “the one true church”.

The Body of Christ, the Kingdom of God is the one true church.

And only God knows who all its members are.

The 👪 Fanily of Mankind is also the Family of God.

CLERICS AND HIERARCHS – THE MIDDLE MEN

It’s over 52 years since I entered seminary.

This year please God I will be 46 years a priest.

This year I will also 24 years in episcopal orders.

I believe that the priesthood is necessary and that it was part of Christ’s plan.

But remember priests are not only priests, they are in canon law, clerics.

When a man is dismissed he is not dismissed from the priesthood. He’s reception of that Sacrament is not, and cannot be undone.

Rather he is “dismissed from the clerical state”.

He ceases to be a cleric but remains a priest.

Once a priest, always a priest.

Jesus did intend a “priesthood” but he did not intend clerics and clericalism. They were human, man made categories.

They resulted because Constantine became a Christian and Christianity became the religion of the empire

The old political Roman Empire was replaced by the new religious Roman Empire – with the bishop of Rome, the pope, as emperor.

I do not believe that this was the intention of Jesus.

Gradually, the Church of Jesus and the New Testament became the Roman Catholic Institution and empire.

All kinds of new empire like laws and offices emerged.

And all of that developed and its what we have today.

TRADITION

As Catholics we believe that God reveals himself in Scripture and Tradition.

And all this is good.

But genuine Tradition MUST always conform to Scripture.

Bishops and priests, who initially started off as SERVANTS gradually began to emerge as MASTERS and DICTATORS. And this is absolutely contrary to Scripture.

And there then developed “magisterium” canon law, doctrine etc.

And in the recent past, in Roman Catholicism law and doctrine replaced Scripture as the leading inspiration.

Until the early 1900s there was an index of banned books – books that lay people could not read.

THE BIBLE was on the list of banned books !!!

SOLUTION:

1. A return to the Church of Jesus time and the New Testament time.

2. Bishops and priests returning to their original role as SERVANTS.

3. A massive concentration on God’s Word especially in the New Testament.

4. Bishops and priests being real bishops and priests and not being primarily clerics.

5. Doctrine and dogma being totally scriptural and never anti Scripture.

6. Property and monies being in the hands of the laity (deacons and deaconesses ??) and bishops and priests concentrating on preaching, teaching and sacramental ministry.

7. A spiritual renewal of priests and bishops in terms or private prayer praying together and searching and finding God’s will and way in prayerful cooperation with all church members.

A retreat master once said of priests

“He went out to do good – and he did well” 😀

Also

“He worked so hard for God that he forgot the God for whom he worked” 😀

268 replies on “SACRAMENTS – CHANNELS OF GRACE – MEANS OF CLERICAL CONTROL.”

Pat
Can you explain why it’s so important for you to be in “episcopal orders “?
Could you not fulfil The same Ministry in Larne as a priest ?
In all Seriousness , and with no disrespect , why the need to clericalism and the grand title of Bishop ?!
Perhaps you can explain how
You became a bishop but , more importantly , what that title and clerical dress is important to your ministry ?

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Is that it ?
Ordaining others is not something you have done a lot of … hardly central to your vocation . It Seems , and I genuinely am
Not being facetious , that it’s about title , power and a little clerical in the sense of dressing in purple .
I was honestly expecting a better and more
Thoughtful response !
For another day perhaps .

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I have ordained a number of people. Most of them, sadly, have been mistakes:-(

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in fairness to Buckley, you won’t see him wearing a 30inch hat and cape and giving out from a pulpit. You’ll find him in larne in the kitchen, with the kettle on and a listening ear.

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Ott’s Fundamentals does suggest that a priest can ordain a priest, that the power is conferred but suspended. There have been a few instances, although the only long term use was to allow Cistercian officials to ordain deacons in isolated houses.

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Pat, surely you mean 46 years not 56?? It is a daily challenge now for priests to rediscover the real meaning of being a “servant priest” but I believe that many of us in the past 25 years have been on this journey. We are in very different times than the 70’s since you and I began our studies. Soin after ordination the realities of life began to impact. Then we were plunged into chaos with the abuse scandals which have almost destroyed trust in any concept of priesthood. The sacraments are very special moments of grace but God is mediated to us through the wonderful people of grace and goodness we meet every day. There is an urgency in redefining service, ministry and being God’s people. Those of us who care – and there are many who do – try to recreate the spirit of the early Christian community in our daily work. We don’t go flying to heavy theological or ecclesiological documents to know how we should be a true Christ to all. The gospels are the source but a very challenging ideal. I pray for call priests daily. The vocation of priesthood is under threat by horrible corruption and carelessness by some but each of us has to consciously make a daily decision for Christ. Sometimes the task seems unmanageable and with so much brutalising commentary and judgment by some on this blog I feel fearful and unsafe and iften want to walk away. Yet, despite my many failings and disillusionment I trust in God alone. Were I not to do thus I would be dismantled and crushed. There’s rarely an acknowledgement of anything positive or creative that we engage in. All total negativity, denigration and condemnation. There’s consolation in Jesus’ words – “I have come to seek the lost and the stray…” It’s not bad company to keep!

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I acknowledge your beliefs and wishes to “do good” @ 11:36. No doubt you are sincere. But since it’s a reality that you’ve “backed the wrong horse” in the religious con job, is it any wonder that you now experience the reality of increasing public awareness and disengagement from the delusions of your religious claims?
MMM

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MMM you don’t understand actual faith or actual spirituality in the slightest. Not your fault, it would be like explaining music to a deaf person, there’s only so much explaining that can or should be done.

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12:45 am
” But since it’s a reality that you’ve “backed the wrong horse” in the religious con job…”
Prove it…!

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My favourite thing on this blog is the way MMM sets the faithful off. My second favourite is them demanding evidence. The irony. 😂

Oh would some Power the giftie gie us
To see ourselves as others see us!

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MMM, I acknowledge your beliefs and wishes to “do good”. No doubt you are sincere. But since it’s a reality that you “backed the wrong horse” in the social work con job, is it any wonder that you now experience the reality of increasing public awareness and disengagement from the delusions of your claims?

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12:45am – do not underestimate us – we do not back Nags 🏇🐎🏇🐎🏇
We follow the money.

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@Not Mrs Shoesmith
You mean you’re not the Sharon Shoesmith who won an employment tribunal for unfair dismissal? 😂
That Sharon Shoesmith?
Remarkably stupid.

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Sharon Shoesmith only won the tribunal on a technicality because Ed Balls sacked her without going through the dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s. She still should have been got rid of. It’s amazing to take her side over the side of the children.

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What is Roman Catholicism?
The only ‘religion’ where covering up crime is policy and then you start ranting about other people when you get caught out. 🤮

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11:56 am

Yeah.The irony from the fellow constantly demanding proof for the existence of God.
Social work is not even a nag but a pony pretending to be a racehorse. Now, I won’t start a discussion on social work practice or social work practitioners. Google social work scandals for more info on the so-called do gooders who like to pontificate from their moral middle class high horse while in the pocket of the State or highly questionable NGOs.

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1:36 I’m only an academic fellow and not a man so your mode of address is incorrect.
Still no proof for the immaculate conception 🤷

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You guys ‘having a go’ by referring to social work failures (11:24; 12:06; & 12:10), and in particular the one regularly harping on about Sharon Shoesmith, probably have very little understanding, or indeed a wish to understand, the complexities and realities of public sector social work practice which is totally dependent on government funding with its inevitable political biases.
It’s not my responsibility to explain it, even if you were willing to listen, which I much doubt.
I will just simplify it by saying as follows, and make no further comment.
Public sector social worker’s responsibilities are laid out in legislation and accompanying regulations and directives. Those responsibilities fall to local government councils. Councils are given block grants and can levy additional funds by rates, but only within limits dictated by central government.
For many years, councils state that the funds available do not enable them to fulfil their statutory obligations. Every department is ‘starved of cash.’ Within councils, the councillors’ political biases, departmental chief officers ‘ abilities and public pressures, ( often the better educated more articulate and political savvy), all combine to determine how each council’s available monies are allocated between their many departments. [In simple terms: the marginalised poor dependent on social services tend to be less demanding than articulate middle class demands for better education facilities]
This is the reality of social services having insufficient quality staff, and other resources (Foster carers, children’s homes etc)to meet incessantly increasing demands: impossible caseloads, high staff turnover and burnout, are the consistent factors behind low staff morale, and ultimately the failures highlighted by headline seeking press.
Within this everyday virtually continual crisis scenario judgements are made which turn out to have regrettable consequences. Social worker’s don’t have the advantages of ‘hindsight ‘ subsequently given to inquiries which have the additional advantage of selectively focusing on a single case or issue, often ignoring the multi faceted realities of decision making prior to the tragedy in question.
I leave it for those interested to read further on the issues.
As to the rest: 🙈
MMM

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MMM 2.22 sounds like a Church spokesman in the 90s, making up excuses. The facts are that individual social workers fail individual children. Is that to do with the sort of people attracted to SW and their selection, training, leadership and supervision? Young Arthur of a few weeks ago, and Star were both let down by SWs, who put wokery above the needs of children.
https://uk-database.org/cold-cases-missing-murdered-uk-kids-can-u-help/uk-child-abusers-named-and-shamed/childhood-abuses/children-that-have-died-from-social-services-failures/

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2:22 pm
I know of social work scandals (not failures) which had nothing to do with the complexities and realities of public sector social work practice dependent on Government funding, or on crisis scenario judgements.
These scandals had everything to do with gross professional negligence, gross professional incompetence, professional ignorance, abuse of power, lies, cover-up to avoid responsibility, gaslighting, destroying professional reputations,destroying families due to professional incompetence of practitioners, etc. Social worker practitioners are active agents in the social work intervention process regardless of funding or lack of financial resources, or the so called multifaceted realities attached to the profession.

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And you @ 10:36 don’t do much to explain it!
And with respect to music & deafness: Beethoven was deaf when he composed the 9th symphony.

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10:36. What is there to “understand” about faith? There are various definitions. I think the best one is “belief without evidence.” I wouldn’t criticise anyone for not having such “faith.”
As for spirituality, its gist appears to relate to “concern more for the welfare of humanity and other creatures than for material possessions.” Reliance on religious considerations is not essential, and if a sole motivation, surely less commendable.

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11:36 This blog, as badly trolled as it is by some, and despite many ulterior motives, still fills an important and necessary function, a gap in the market, switching a light on in the dark room, and the people in it, and scattering them like cockroaches, but it’s also a very skewed one sided version of reality. Yes, there are lots of problems, but there is much more good out there going on in the real lives of the faithful than bad.

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Which could also describe the motives of many of the comments on this blog.
There’s still plenty of fruit out there if unless you deliberately ignore it.

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10:46 I went out looking for good fruit but the smell of rotten apples was so strong I had to give up. No use just sitting there going I’m a good apple when you stink of vinegar.

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TL:DR.
You’re a priest, aren’t you? You can always tell the ones used to other people listening and not questioning.

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11.27: So you call your men “mistakes”. In what way were they mistakes? Now let us have the full truth. Transparency please.

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An Old Roman Catholic Bishop once told me that he and his fellow independent bishops really needed the Pope and Curia to keep them under control. He did have a point because the ecclesiastical underworld can be quite scary although I’m beginning to think its upper world is as bad.

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Do you think they were disasters because you didn’t put them through a proper seminary system, either traditional or alternative.
I know somebody who was ordained for the liberal Catholic Church. She used to go to a theological college in Cambridge for years to gain her seminary education… turned out it was a money making con. She never got her degree but was ordained anyway. She happily admits that her religion is more of a hobby and less of a vocation.

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Seraphim at 1:04 – striking because I think of the upper and under as mirror images. It is so significant that the independent episcopate movement kicked off in the wake of Vatican 1, Old Catholics, Vilatte and Mathew, etc. I honestly think the definition of infallibility caused this as a natural reaction.
Although Rome has always painted the underside as chaotic (with justification), that has really come home to roost in the abuse crisis. There is a message here which Rome is determined not to get!

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Seraphim 1:04am, yes that’s the way it should be, but now the upper levels are so corrupted by every vice you can think of, just like the 11th and 16th centuries again, it will take several generations at least to repair it, until the cycle of sin begins all over again, as it always does with mankind. It’s been this way since Judas.

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There’s lots of that in the mainstream Church as well, as this blog lays testimony to. Is there a better way to screen people for the Church Pat?

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Pat, what about my sincere enquiry here a few days about ordination to a hidden life of prayer and the TLM, with no public ministry?

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11:22 A sure sign of a sincere enquiry like that would be that it would be made privately.
You are a seminary reject. Goodbye.

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@11.55am
I hope you’re nicer in real life. I’ve only been in a seminary for three hours, at a guest dinner in Allen Hall. I’ve never applied anywhere, never mind being rejected. My enquiry is public because it is a public blog and I thought others might be interested in Pat’s view on it.

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@8.23 If you read back through this blog and it’s predecessor you will see how well the ‘traditional’ seminary system (which only dates back to the counter reformation) prevents disasters. 🥺

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12.29pm. The abuse peaked and was out of control in the 1970s and 80s. The Maynooth Summer of Love 2016 (which would have continued every year, but for Pat) would not have been possible in the old Maynooth.

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By priest fantasies I meant people who thought that ordination would solve all their problems.

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And a woman too ! That was a bit of a disaster. Pat, in fairness you are not dissimilar to the rest of the irish bishops are ya? Ordaining fools ! You lot are all the same.

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Mother Frances is not a disaster. She is a sincere spiritual woman and a talented iconographer. Contrary to rumour her and I are in touch.

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Some good priests have made good use of “giving confessions” but it was always a mistake to tie that (in their propaganda) as an excuse to rejoin the “communion a.k.a smarties queue”; albeit one should have sat out when in sin.
Communion is as communion does which is why Rome’s sacraments are no longer effective.

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That word “clericalism” is said a lot, including by the biggest clericalist of all, Bergoglio. What does it mean? We have a new permanent deacon in Clogher diocese, who doesn’t even live in Clogher diocese. He has had an official portrait photo taken of himself, all dressed in black and with a clerical collar. Is that clericalist?

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Well, he has been the organist in St Michael’s in Enniskillen so needed to be upgraded to the clerical state.
I saw that, during his ordination, he lay on the floor, as real deacons, priests and bishops do at their ordinations. That is meant to symbolise death of the old self, giving up the old life and rising to take up a new one.
In what way does that apply to a permanent deacon? He is still married, still lives in his own house, has given up nothing and has gained the title Rev and the dressing up that they crave.
A permanent deacon I knew proudly told me he’d phoned up his bank to request new cards and chequebook with his title changed from Mr to Rev.

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Clericalism is the word the new hierarchy throw about when they want to disguise their own clericalism of another type.

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The permeant deaconate is going to be a disaster, and is designed to be they way the hierarchy will implement it.

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The days of clerical / priestly / episcopal control and influence are long since over. Only in some of the traddie groupings will you still find Father put up on a pedestal and given unimpeded authority and voice. That is only allowed to happen because most of those adherents are very needy and autistic people who have a need to be told what to do because they don’t have the wit or intelligence to make up their own minds. As for the rest of us, we have long since realised that priests are mostly shallow and fallible, and we have long since stopped giving them the automatic deference and respect that used to be demanded. We are inclined to. listen politely and courteously, but then we will go off and make up our own minds about things taking in to account so many other things and influences. When priests get all demanding and have an expectation of having the last word, I just tell them to piss off and wind in their necks. The clergy only have themselves to blame for this. The quality and standard of people who are brought in to the priesthood has been lamentable, and their training, such as it is, laughable. The egregiously criminal and abuse behaviour of so many priests has undermined any credibility and integrity that the clerical caste had. They only have themselves to blame for the current situation. So, talk about priestly authority is a redundant conversation these days. They have none. The ongoing synod on priesthood that is going on in Rome is just a rearranging of the deckchairs. But the ship is still going down with all hands.

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10:07 also a magnet for the unclothe Peter to clothe Paul laity types that clerics & hierarchy surround themselves with.

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10:07 and that’s only what they are when at entry level – then they meet and learn from more experienced ministry with the same negative attributes and all protected by the system for the rest of their lives. A handy number if you’re into that sort of thing.

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Is the fey lad from Portsmouth who gets Heinz Tomato Soup posted out to him from England to Rome, still in the VEC?

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Pat, I’ve just been reflecting on Word of God for tomorrow – the gospel particularly. In light of recent issues being discussed, can I urge all commenters to read the gospel – St. Luke: 6: 27-38. Avery timely gospel allowing us space to review, reflect and pray. Thank you.

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Gospel
Luke 6:27-38
Love your enemies

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘I say this to you who are listening: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who treat you badly. To the man who slaps you on one cheek, present the other cheek too; to the man who takes your cloak from you, do not refuse your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and do not ask for your property back from the man who robs you. Treat others as you would like them to treat you. If you love those who love you, what thanks can you expect? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what thanks can you expect? For even sinners do that much. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what thanks can you expect? Even sinners lend to sinners to get back the same amount. Instead, love your enemies and do good, and lend without any hope of return. You will have a great reward, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.
‘Be compassionate as your Father is compassionate. Do not judge, and you will not be judged yourselves; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned yourselves; grant pardon, and you will be pardoned. Give, and there will be gifts for you: a full measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be poured into your lap; because the amount you measure out is the amount you will be given back.’

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10.03: Thanks Pat for printing the gospel I suggested for readers. It us a powerfully challenging gospel. Let’s hope we not only preach it well but live it in full…

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10:53am Are you seriously asking abuse victims to turn the other cheek and to forgive and pray for your colleagues when all you do is discredit and lie about them to protect your fellow clerics etc. Shameful and arrogant to twist the Gospel in this way for RCC agenda.

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12.37: A most uneducated response. I merely asked people on this blog to read tomorrow’s gospel. I never said anything about turning the other cheek…JESUS DID. And may I respectfully suggest that apart from reading the text, reflect on it, pray about it and do a little background reading about it. A wonderful and very necessary gospel for all folllowers of Christ.

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A return to the Church of Jesus’ time and the New Testament time will be more authentic. Jesus’ baptism was when he was an adult. There is something to be said for a believers baptism.
If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.
A massive concentration on God’s Word, especially in the New Testament, will be more authentic. Sometimes in life we have to return to basics, step back before moving forward. Lent is a good time for that journey.

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10:29 & 10:37 – don’t forget the Church Organisers registered the Priest Abuser and allowed him to attend. Says it all – he’ll always be one of their own. Mafia. A danger to Society in more ways than one.

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12:44pm RCC let the priest abuser attend the Conference But Places like Glenstal have red alert systems in place if anyone like Bishop Pat tries to attend a retreat. Expert & Professional at protecting their secrets & telling lies & blocking victims and supporters.

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Glasgow news
The new Archbishop has decided not to live in the Pollokshields or Newlands Mansion, instead he has decided to live in St Patricks, a Parish near the City Centre. Good on him.

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Indeed, these performative gestures, which contradict the teaching not to parade your virtue before others, and not to let your right hand know what your left hand is doing, are intended to say:
“Look at me, how humble I am, and so very much more humble than my proud predecessors and proud brother bishops”.
What will happen to the two unused houses? The similar Casa Marta stunt in Rome has caused and is causing a fortune.

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I always think the “look how humble I am living in a parish” thing is a bit of a gimmick, but maybe they can’t afford the upkeep of the mansion, Tough on the PP who has to live with the boss!

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That article is wild and raises all sorts of questions.
It says the 45 other seminaries (per his mom) refused him because he is blind and multiple health problems. Yet Steubenville’s judgement was obviously completely different, so Pillar have basically announced where to apply if everywhere else has turned you down. 🤷
I actually thought you couldn’t be a priest if blind but have found Fr Bernard Ezaki who is blind.

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Clogher Fr @10.50am You sound a tad jealous and hostile to your new permanent deacon in the diocese? Does he threaten your own position perhaps? Will he be joining the other permanent deacon in Enniskillen parish?

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Well you see not everyone sees people through their own blinkers, biases and caricature like you do, 12:01. On the other hand, automatically assuming a priest is a paedophile will save a lot of trouble and legal and therapy bills later.

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I’ve never met an organist who has a wife, yet. But I have met many organists who can play the harpsichord and love Baroque music; with a love for Bach, Mozart Palestrina. And Shirley Bassey 😂

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I am still bemused how Jolly was able to make his way through Oscott and to ordination. What were the rector and staff doing and thinking ? Even some of the seminarians thought that Jolly was a weirdo and very odd. Was any of this ever discussed seriously and professionally by the staff at Oscott ? Perhaps a freedom of information notification needs to be made to have a look at the records they keep. Mind you, so bog and cack handed is the kind of training and quality of staff in places like Oscott that I doubt if they even know what keeping records is ! Longely, McMahon, Nicols etc. need to be asking some very deep and searching questions, for I assure you in years to come what goes on in seminaries is going to come back and bite them in the arse, and they will find themselves yet again squirming in front of some investigation panel. And we know what that looked like, didn’t we Vinny ?!

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‘what goes on in seminaries is going to come back and bite them in the arse’
Guaranteed.
I agree that any records would have started out inadequate and will likely have mysteriously vanished by now.
There will also not have been an investigation to find out how Jolly got through.
Unfortunately the FoI act only applies to public bodies in the UK and not to individual-specific information. The only person who has the right to Jolly’s information is him, unless a court orders it.
You will have seen how the documents at IICSA were anonymised.

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And yet the men who from these monsters and let them through are then appointed bishops. Madness.

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Not only was Jolly allowed to whizz through Oscott, but he was then singled out for further studies in Rome. This Is usually a sign that a priest shows a capacity for additional responsibility within the church. However, it’s odd that he lived at the Beda and not the VEC.

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Was he a late vocation? I thought that the Beda was for late vocations and Anglican converts.

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@12.01pm You may not have encountered a church organist with a wife (total rhubarb) but there are ex Anglican clergy with a wife in the Catholic Church.

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The idea that the sacraments are the channel of grace and the ways and means to salvation is patent nonsense, but worse it is a fallacy dreamt up by controlling clerics to keep control of the faithful. The lengths that clergy will go to ensure that their authority and power is undiminished. Except, in these last few decades they have found themselves losing that authority and power, as well as respect. They have tried to blame the laity for a loss of faith, but the reality is that the laity who have seen just how rotten the clergy are themselves, and their duplicity and lies in trying to retain control over them. So, the game is up. The clergy do need to be humbled in order for them to arrive at a place where they can minister as priests. I have not sympathy for clergy who cry that they are trying to be good priests. The reality is that simply by remaining and trying to be good priests, they are complicit in protecting and advancing everything that the Church and clergy have done over the decades to exalt themselves. Just by being part of it they are complicit and guilty. There is no getting away from that.

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Yes, that’s why Protestantism drives them mad in a way that Orthodoxy doesn’t (although you would think RCs would have far more reason to see Orthodox as competition), because it makes grace available to literally anyone.
The loss of respect is ironic when it’s been caused by themselves and nobody else!
It’s almost like the whole thing is a scam.

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Clergy, drunk on booze or power will boast that they can change wine into the blood of Christ, as if they have a unique special super power and then mock and deride lay people saying, ‘Can you do that? No you can’t!!’
Clergy abide many sacraments for financial gain – Saying a Mass (£20-50), wedding (£300), Funeral (£300), Blessing a House £50) – most clergy are guilty of the sin of Simony – it’s a racket and it’s corrupt – rather as selling indulgences was (and is corrupt).

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The average cost of a UK wedding is £21k so Cof`E fees are reasonable. You can have a Civil marriage for £46 in a registry office, and invite everyone down the pub for a celebration and pay for their own meal. The poor can afford to marry, but all the nonsense is cut out.

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This Morning’s Gospel
The Transfiguration is the Glory of God. It is witnessed but it is not proclaimed . The resurrection is the Glory of God. It is not witnessed but it is proclaimed. There are very few examples of a “secret teaching” by our Rabbi. Jesus’ teaching is not a Gnostic onion being revealed layer by layer. Jesus speaks to all men directly just as all men can speak to Abba, Dad who is in heaven. Our clergy are our teachers and leaders of liturgical worship but Father Son and Holy Spirit know me and all of us directly as a Soul created in Love for Love and to practise Love in this world and to find Eternal Love in the eternal Glory of the Kingdom.

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Today’s First Reading
James 3:1-10
Only a few of you, my brothers, should be teachers, bearing in mind that those of us who teach can expect a stricter judgement.
After all, every one of us does something wrong, over and over again; the only man who could reach perfection would be someone who never said anything wrong – he would be able to control every part of himself. Once we put a bit into the horse’s mouth, to make it do what we want, we have the whole animal under our control. Or think of ships: no matter how big they are, even if a gale is driving them, the man at the helm can steer them anywhere he likes by controlling a tiny rudder. So is the tongue only a tiny part of the body, but it can proudly claim that it does great things. Think how small a flame can set fire to a huge forest; the tongue is a flame like that. Among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a whole wicked world in itself: it infects the whole body; catching fire itself from hell, it sets fire to the whole wheel of creation. Wild animals and birds, reptiles and fish can all be tamed by man, and often are; but nobody can tame the tongue – it is a pest that will not keep still, full of deadly poison. We use it to bless the Lord and Father, but we also use it to curse men who are made in God’s image: the blessing and the curse come out of the same mouth. My brothers, this must be wrong.

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11.58am – not the Gospel at this mornings mass – this is what we had.
Gospel
Mark 9:2-13
Jesus took with him Peter and James and John and led them up a high mountain where they could be alone by themselves. There in their presence he was transfigured: his clothes became dazzlingly white, whiter than any earthly bleacher could make them. Elijah appeared to them with Moses; and they were talking with Jesus. Then Peter spoke to Jesus: ‘Rabbi,’ he said ‘it is wonderful for us to be here; so let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.’ He did not know what to say; they were so frightened. And a cloud came, covering them in shadow; and there came a voice from the cloud, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved. Listen to him.’ Then suddenly, when they looked round, they saw no one with them any more but only Jesus.
As they came down from the mountain he warned them to tell no one what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead. They observed the warning faithfully, though among themselves they discussed what ‘rising from the dead’ could mean. And they put this question to him, ‘Why do the scribes say that Elijah has to come first?’ ‘True,’ he said ‘Elijah is to come first and to see that everything is as it should be; yet how is it that the scriptures say about the Son of Man that he is to suffer grievously and be treated with contempt? However, I tell you that Elijah has come and they have treated him as they pleased, just as the scriptures say about him.’

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Grace in exchange for financial gain is immoral and corrupt.

Lay people have received the anointing of their baptism – they should be alllowed to baptise their children, conduct marriage ceremonies, anoint their sick and bury their dead – what, wait a minute, they can’t do that they need a priest to disperse Gods grace and blessing? Really?

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12.03: Go then and develop your own Church. Let us know when you achieve perfection or your nirvana!! I agree that “lay” people share in the life of Christ. Go practise it.

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12.30: You’re all talk and no action. That response is a very lame excuse – which really means, “I couldn’t be bothered..”

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12:22 has written wisely. 12:03 can develop his own authentic Christian church, where what he has suggested is how they provide their pastoral care. I wish you every success 12:03!
Pax.

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Pat, your statement that the Index banned the Bible needs to be heavily caveated.

The Tridentine Index of 1564 presented ten rules that were established by the Council of Trent to control the censorship of texts. In the Index librorum prohibitorum that accompanies this 1664 edition of the Council’s decrees, the ten rules were reprinted in full. These are summarized in English below:

1. All books condemned by popes or councils before 1515 will remain prohibited.

2. All books by “heresiarchs” (heretical leaders) and theological books by heretics are prohibited.

3. Heretics’ Bible translations are banned; heretics’ translations of other texts require approval.

4. Vernacular translations of the Bible by Catholic scholars require approval.

5. Compilations of earlier works edited by heretics require correction and approval.

6. Theological writings in vernacular languages require correction and approval.

7. Obscene or immoral works are prohibited; Classical works may be read by adults.

8. Books that are generally sound, but which contain isolated heresies must be corrected.

9. All books treating magic, superstition, astrology, or occult practices are prohibited.

10. The bishop and the inquisitor require all books to be licensed prior to publication.

These rules were expanded and modified over the centuries, but they remained the core determinants for Catholic censorship until the ecclesiastical force of the Index librorum prohibitorum was discontinued in 1966, though Paul VI said it still had moral value.

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I was thinking that. I do think it true to say that the church’s concern was that letting people loose on the bible without comments explaining the church’s position tends to end in them being Protestant. So I think it would be fair to say that the church directed the faithful to a selection of passages through the liturgy and to wider reading with apologetic commentary (for example the many older editions of Douay Rheims with comments) but still fair to say that the church tended to discourage open reading otherwise.
TBH I think this was well intentioned but a mistake and I think the church missed a trick in the counter reformation by not encouraging (or being seen to do so) bible reading more. Just because it looks like Catholics don’t read the bible.
(And many don’t, and the ones who try to usually misuse it, but both of these are other matters)

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Non-chucking Protestants don’t read the Bible. Those Protestants who do just read for proof texts.

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Our problem today is that to evangelise you need to study the audience you are trying to speak to. Society is so caught up with the occult, superstition. Psychics etc.. porn, drugs, sex etc.. literally you can get anything you want to satisfy your passions at anytime. There is and app for every vice. We need to be able to educate people as to why xyz is not the truth. Example masturbation. Some men see absolutely no problem with it or porn. Yet any man who rapes a woman didn’t one day wake up to do it, it was a long process of getting to that point, where a man’s passions had taken over his life. Catholic faith has some wisdom in asking men to think about their actions and where those actions could ultimately lead them. These are not truths invented from thin air, and while the world will ridicule men for wanting to live a chaste life, there is truth in chastity. Even the secular world now is copying some age old catholic practices, fasting for example has become practically mainstream. Secular programmes to draw men away from porn and masturbation have become popular (with no religious side to then). There is no amount of sex that will make a man happy if he is just looking to pleasure himself. We need to really study our modern society to be able to dialogue with men and women of today. The truths of our faith give a peace the world can’t give, but you need to live those truths first to be able to talk about those truths. Anyway that is my thoughts, I could be totally wrong, the experts can weigh in. RN.

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Robert just wondering is there any data out there that connects masturbation and pornography to an increase in rape?

I do agree that we are all bound to control our sexual urges and never use or abuse others.

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Pat, I’m no expert at all. But there are many men now coming to the truth. What fascinates me are the secular non religious entities that are helping me with abstinence and a way out of Porn. I am absolutely 100% sure if I fantasied about women watching them on my laptop it would me it would lead me to act that out. That is why I put our Lady Guadalupe behind me in my office to keep me sane, I could not go that direction with her there and lots of married men do spend hours watch porn and masturbating to it and it causes major problems for their wife.

As I said I don’t believe there is a single rapist out there who first didn’t start raping women mentally in his mind fuelled porn and masturbation.

If I fall in that area I just confess and avoid the occasions. It’s just helped me personally. I’ve found truth is trying to be chaste because all men are called to it. You can have moments of depression as a married man. If there is a miscarriage or death of a child, death of a loved one, well sex life usually is not something a woman is interested if after a miscarriage and it’s important for men to be chaste and to sacrifice for that woman and to avoid the porn and masturbation. That is my view, otherwise you give into porn you could eventually end up sleeping with another woman. There really is truth in Chastity. Be it’s like climbing a mountain, it’s not easy and many don’t bother.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/does-pornography-lead-to-sexual-assault_b_57c0876ae4b0b01630de8c93

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Sex has very little do do with Rape. it all about violence, power and degrading the victim. Rape is less about Violent Sex and more about sexual violence

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Pornagraphy is very sinful. He who denounces it speaks the truth. A lot of people in the modern world want to bury their heads in the sand.
They are selective of the medical advice they want to take on board. They block their ears when medics advise monogamy is the healthier lifestyle.
The consumption of pornagraphy is another dark step towards our current world where women cannot walk or run in peace.

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12.28: Robert: hold on. Are you saying that masturbation is a huge wrong and sinful and that if done too frequently can lead a man to lustfully and dangerously viewing a woman (for rape)? What clinical evidence is there to validate this claim? Obviously pornography can have detrimental effects on how we view both men and women. But masturbation? I am absolutely confused by your view. in light of your views about drugs, porn, drink and masturbation, do you support the ugly sexualized imagery and language used often on this blog to humiliate and drgrade people, more recently Dom Kirby, Archbishop Martin and various other clerics? Do you support the prose styles on this blog which crush others? Off course we must all cooperate together to help one another and dialogue when necessary. I’m glad you state that the truths of our Catholic faith give us peace..I am finding it difficult to understand your changing views and attitudes about ever issue on this blog. Do you not think that many, many priests ask themselves very serious questions about their ministry and related issues? We don’t depend on this blog or your videos for spiritual guidance. I would appreciate if you’d answer questions put to you.

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Robert has told me he does not like the style of this blog.

Satire and ridicule are valid methods of challenging wrong.

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Look, if you want to challenge me anonymous one just talk to me. I’m an open book. I’m always ready to talk.

As I said for me personally I found peace in chastity in my state of life, so I personally avoid porn, masturbation, and I just confess if I fall. That’s just me. You can do what you want, I found peace in the path I found based on the wisdom of 2000 years of Christianity. I really don’t care how people live their lives, I can just live mine and if people see something they are inspired with in my life then I’m happy to talk.

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12.22pm

What a strange response? How did you arrive at Nirvana and Perfection and another Church from a blog entry proposing lay ministry?
Thank you for what I perceive as a rather pompous Benediction; ‘Go practice it’
If your not a cleric (you v likely are) you should be one – nothing rattles the clerical cage more than a suggestion of greater lay involvement or engagement.
The passive aggressive vibe impossible to ignore and frankly rather amusing.

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1.09: I have absolutely no problem with “lay” people” or the baptised people of God, which I prefer to use, in involvement in any aspect of parish ministry and I have no problem with the concept of women priests. I ensure that women and men are involved in as many areas of parish life as possible. It’s my forte. What annoys me is the way some commenters perpetuate the lie that priests don’t care about their pastoral ministry. With great struggles sometimes the vast majority of us try our best. Oncevi worked in a parish with six of us: now I’m in my own with a retired P. P. with a parish 5 times bigger than whereby first began. I am fortunate to have wonderful parishioners. The constant negativity on this blog levelled unfairly at priests is very disillusioning. When any critic finds the perfect church let me know!

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Jolly ticked all the boxes except one:

Homosexual
Right Wing
Rotund
Pro Life
Pro TLM
Used Twitter
And Grindr
Sense of priestly Class
Despised Lay People
Unhealthy/criminal interest in children (cute ones as he would say)

Except there was one box he didn’t tick

He got caught.

In the clerical world getting caught is unforgivable and the sin that cannot be forgive.

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Devastatingly accurate, 1:17. It’s also an accurate description of so many commenters here. Although if there was the slightest chance of them getting a woman pregnant they wouldn’t be pro-forced parenthood.

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1.26: Pat, why are you answering for Robert? His presence on this blog leaves him open to being challenged and he must accept that. I don’t like the tone of your blog at times but I won’t be going to mammy or daddy complaining!!! Let Robert be a man and answer legitimate questions. He doesn’t have to be on your blog if he dislikes it. We are seeing a very different RN in the last week. I quite enjoy his videos on prayer, the Catholic faith and spirituality and I believe sincerely this is his real strength and ministry.

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I am not answering for Robert. I am simply making the point that Robert has told me to my face that he does not always like the style and content of the blog. Simple.

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I love the way these clowns make a comment on a public blog then start ranting because anyone else replies 😎

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List out exactly point by point anonymous one what exactly and precisely you want me to answer and I will answer. Bullet point questions. Let’s have the conversation

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Robert you are being more than disingenuous in this.

You have been repeatedly challenged by several contributors to this blog, myself included, and you have resolutely refused to engage with those questions. I’m not talking about those contributors who were nasty or made ad hominem attacks. I am referring to the robust and thoughtful challenges put to you over the past few days on this blog?

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Asmodeus, I actually don’t spend all my day on the internet. So I won’t be reading all the questions. Just because you didn’t get a reply does not mean I refuse to engage. I don’t have the time to follow the chat. I do have a life. You can always email me ranugent@icloud.com.

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2.00: Robert, you might begin by answering the questions I asked at 1.22pm. Then we might have a conversation. And I have every right, like most others, to use “anonymous”. Don’t be so facetious in referring to any anonymous as “anonymous one.” It’s very patronising. If you’re telling Pat you don’t like the tone of his blog, why are you using it? (another question along with 1.22).

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Well anonymous one, it’s very hard to read the comments and not even know who is commenting. You could at least have an avatar name. Or better still call me or visit me to have a conversation with me.

But this is Pats blog, not mine. And maybe of more people asking Pat or better still drove to Larne to talk to Pat about the degrading comments and sexualised cartoons, then maybe this will change.

People are saying Pat is influencing me and I e too much control over Pat..

No I absolutely DO NOT support the sexualized imagery and language used often on this blog to humiliate and degrade people. I’ve said this already to Pat. I think the tone should be on the issues and avoiding the sexual innuendo and cartoons.

Should I engage here? Well let’s see. Do I support the format of the blog. No. But Pat is his own person.

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2.33: Robert: You seem to be spending a great deal of time on this blog writing long comments. Your videos absorb much time too. If you don’t want to answer or are unable to rise to the challenging questions, stay off the blog. You have posted much that deserves questioning. Emailing can absorb time too as can phone chats!! Why is it that you refuse critical questioning?

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martin / 3.27 Robert has as much right to be on pat’s blog as you or anyone else making comments. Did he not explain that he doesn’t spend all his time on the internet and invited those who wanted to talk to e-mail him. Its the very same as putting a comment on this blog so go and e-mail Robert if you need questions answered.

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1.46: Robert says “I really don’t care how people live their lives”. Why then are you preaching your views like homilies? Why so entrenched in your views and questioning the rest of us about prayer, priesthood, following Christ, our lack of appreciation for the Latin Mass, our waywardness? Surely this statement you made flies in the face of Christs admonition to love others in all their sinfulness and brokenness and care for them? By the way, Robert, you do challenge me…

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Why are you listening? I never asked you to subscribe to listen to me. When I say I don’t care how others live their lives i mean can I do to CHANGE THEIR LIVES?? I can just speak of the truth I have encountered and if they are inspired to change they will. Of course I care, but I can’t change people I only change myself. Maybe talk to me directly. ?? There are people who get very angry and upset if you challenge them on how they live their lives. So often it appears like I don’t care. But of course I do. But I will get nowhere going around asking people to stop doing XYZ. I can only change myself.

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2:21, one can preach and understand that people live their own lives.
And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town.
If someone has heard the truth and they block their ears, they can have no complaints if eternal damnation happens to be their fate.

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It should be mentioned that the Index banned erroneous, unapproved translations of the Bible (although the omission of the Deuterocanonical books only happened long after, like the KJV had them originally). The Bible has long been translated, but as is hinted by the name, translation generally involved selected books. Parchment was expensive and oft scraped (which is a source of otherwise vanished texts). English speakers got the Douay-Rheims translation starting with the New Testament in 1582. While the typeface makes it a little hard, it is full of annotations or note to allow a correct Catholic understanding. The original KJV continually refers to it critically in its notes, making it highly possible it was a source, although the Tyndale and Bishop’s Bibles were clear influences. The later Challoner version lost most notes, although the Fr Haydock version provides notes in a similar Catholic spirit.

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Symmachus,
The Douay-Rheims does have its moments and probably influenced the KJV. Perhaps more so in what not to do – avoid the heavy Latinate vocabulary. The Challoner Douay is greatly influenced by the KJV and is still favored by some Western Orthodox. Indeed the Milan Synod used it for its Sarum Missal and Lectionary which sold out. ( Fr. Aidan, where’s that Latin-English update?)
Yesterday, I encountered a French translation of the KJV. A labor of love for a Protestant lady who thinks that the French bibles were loosely translated. The biggest shock was hearing a French person ( she made a video) state that English has a richer vocabulary than French.
I’ve had too much coffee this morning but must ask. Are there any takers to translate the Douay-Rheims into French? A bit of a homecoming,eh?

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2.15: Asmodeus. You are so correct. No decent person would ever condone ugly violence of language against those who hold different views and Robert dies not deserve this nastiness. It us my view that Pat shiukd cease printing all such horrible and dangerous comnents. I agree with you: many questions gave been put to Robert since his confusing and changing promises and narratives appeared in this blog but he hss resolutely failed to answer cogently any such legitimate questions. It is my contention that when he was found out about his misguided allegiance to Silverstream and his inability to deliver on Thurles. Alongside these there was a huge promotional vidro about forthcoming interviews with victims of DK, only to be told when challenged, that this event would not be live because of legalities. The birds in the Silverstream gardens could have told him this! Robert has put on a new set of clothes and they ain’t fitting well.

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“ inability to deliver on Thurles” ? That story is only getting started and could take years like other church coverups. Maybe if someone actually helped? There simply are not the resources to do that story justice. But that coverup is an injustice that needs closure.

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‘Maybe if someone actually helped?’
Robert as I am sure you are aware, helping anyone or revealing the truth about seminary bullies is the last thing in the mind of so many commenters here because they are firmly on the side of cover up and their own comfort.
It’s interesting the way they’re still having a go at you, though – you’ve definitely rattled some cages!

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2.51: That justice is required is indisputable but you did promise an earth shattering report. You were unable to deliver. It was pointed out to you and you didn’t like the challenges, reactions of commenters. You are becoming “Pattified”…

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Oscott spiritual directors are obsessed with masturbation – frequency, fantasies and chosen method.

Clergy in the confessional are the same – financial irregularities, pride, avarice etc no interest – mention masturbation and their wide awake.

Catholic lay men who talk about converting or ‘mastering’ masturbation are obsessed about it too – and invariably haven’t mastered it but are mastered by it.

Masturbation is about as sinful as sneezing – it’s natural, everyone does it and guess what – it’s not sinful or morally wrong because it’s involuntary and necessary – oh the irony, among urologists, the black humour is that prostate cancer is called ‘the priests disease’ – wonder why?

Masturbation is like Limbo – once a matter of life or death – eventually kicked into touch because the culture matures and grows up.

Oh and don’t you just love the sour face and tone clergy or laymen like RN put on when talking or writing about masturbation – like their spraying a moral disinfectant.

Before anyone pours out their tedious invective- yes, I know I’m a wanker but at least I’m a happy one!!

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It’s great you are so advanced in virtue you are able to judge me. I’m not sadly and that is life. If you want to be the happy wanker off you go. I decided otherwise, but I’m actually not obsessed with it. I’ve filled me time with other things. But hey you live your life and I will live mine. Generally people who challenge me like your post above a pretty insecure and would never dare say that to my face.

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Pornography and Erotica is simply a healthy response to human hyper sexuality and the basic human drive for sexual variety.
Drop the faux indignation – pornography is like masturbation (legal pornography that is, of course) – everyone does it and those who protest about it most are among those who watch it.
Porn Hub is the most watched website in the world – and I assure you virtually every Catholic priest in the world is familiar with its gay as opposed to heterosexual content.

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It is not healthy at all. It is an evil consumption. It takes brave people to speak out.
Anyone claiming to be holier than thou and they are consuming that evilness, are more of the double life and moral hypocritical brigade.

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https://fightthenewdrug.org/about/

” Fight the New Drug is a non-religious and non-legislative organization that exists to provide individuals the opportunity to make an informed decision regarding pornography by raising awareness on its harmful effects using only science, facts, and personal accounts.”

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I see the many cowardly anonymous trolls on here are still sweating about RN not giving up.
Pat has decided to have him on this blog, whether you scumbags like it or not.
The intimidation of him and his family is not working. You’re not dealing with defenceless seminarians now.

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At this stage a strange dynamic is emerging between Pat and Robert. The threads of their narratives are slowly converging into a union of thoughts, intention and direction. Hard to know who to trust and what’s really haplening. Their differences are blurred as they answer and cover for one another. A little like a father and son in a newly discovered relationship. It’s amusing. Pat you may yet have a new Oratorian!!;

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3.41

You ” Martin” are engaged in self reflection as you pronounce on your Studies, don’t you think ?….like O Neill you have my attention and curiosity……not flattery, feint praise, or exhaustive……I read with the help of Hermes I pray…..

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2.49: What great sense you have written. Honestly, that anyone would speak about masturbation as RN does, is in a crazy world. I’m sure Pat must still be rolling over in laughter…

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I’m not laughing because Robert genuinely believes what he is saying.

I completely disagree with him and his approach which is consistent with RC teaching has caused many of millions to live their whole lives in a state of guilt and despair.

In my youth such thinking made me believe that I was hurting God and bound for an eternity in Hells flames.

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One point Pat, my views on chastity as a truth is not formed just by what the Church says, it’s a truth that many people have come to accept even outside the RCC. I would just ask people to study more. also it would be good if men had a mature conversation about this. I think I was naive to assume there could be a mature conversation about this, clear some of the readers of the blog don’t like to be challenged on their comfortable settled views.

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I’ve just watched Robert’s video for today: “The unfolding scandal of Sychar.” It’s a lovely reflection about Jesus and the woman at the well and very relevant. It’s one of my favourite scenes in the gospels. I found the video challenging in a meaningful way. Robert, though I have asked you for answers to questions, I believe your prayerful and deep faith witness on your videos are powerful. They are better than anything you write on this blog which give a different demeanour yo you. That’s because on this blog you are responding to some horrible creeps, some who may have intruded into your personal and family life. I prefer the reflective Robert than the enraged one we see on this blog. And, though your reflections are often expressed gently, there are wonderful, insightful challenges given by way of evoking the need for personal renewal in Christ for all who care to listen to you. There is a depth of spiritual awareness that draws you to think, reflect, pray and ACT…Thanks for this video.

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“Personal renewal in Christ” in the RCC often means excusing wrong and finding a pious way not to do anything about it.
Like the child abusing priest: “We must pray for Father. He has a problem. Let us pray for Father and for his personal renewal in Christ”.
Problem solved.
At least until he rapes the next little boy.

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4.56: Pat, that’s a most utterly stupid response. Why do you twist comments made by others? Where in my comment at 4.44 did I intimate that spiritual renewal in Christ means what you have inferred? You know exactly what the context of my comment is. Why is it that when any priest speaks (genuinely) about renewal in Christ, you mock, sneer and jeer and attribute your sinister interpretation in what’s written. Your smarmy reply is silly and infantile.

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Because pious excuses have been used by bishops and priests to deflect on their lack of scandals and abuse.
How do we know that you are one of the good apples?
No I think my reply has burst your pious bubble.
At this stage the world wants ACTION and not platitudes!

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4:56 Well Said, Bishop Pat, we see this toxic church practice repeated all across the world amid their automatic complicity in cover up and justification and in vicious defence of all kinds of wrong doing.

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People can pray for DMK. Sure they can but where is his present day atonement for the way that DBA has been wronged? If DMK wants a personal renewal in Christ, surely he must take action to right the wrongs that have occurred?

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Pat, have you come across this article;
https://wherepeteris.com/silverstream-priory-one-sided-narratives-and-spiritual-abuse/
‘ On Friday of last week, Irish blogger Pat Buckley reported that four men have come forward with allegations including boundary violations, spiritual abuse, and sexual harassment against Dom Mark Kirby of Silverstream Priory, the author and alleged visionary behind the popular devotional book In Sinu Jesu. These new allegations follow a lengthy August 2021 interview with Fr. Benedict Andersen in the Pillar.’

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Don’t laugh, but has anybody ever been inside an ambulance that has cat flaps (genuine cat flaps) fitted on the inside, the walls and shelving, to store their trinkets and bits-and-bobs?
Even the Simoco SRM comms console was over 15 years old.
It just didn’t seem as “kitted out” as you’d expect.
Also, the manual resus/kit-bag was just on the floor and not secured or in situ.
I’d consider myself to have a reasonable eye for detail, certainly in the visual sense, given I have Attention Deficit.
People with learning difficulties usually pick up on the things those without learning difficulties can’t.
Some even say spiritually, too.

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I am highly sympathetic to RN. However his mocking of anonymous comments here is misguided.

Having read this blog for some time, I am of the impression that many, many RC clerics both read and contribute to this blog, and if anonymity were not an option, there would be little to no constructive conversation here at all.

Yes, many of the comments are silly (Pat says he gets rid of the worse of them) but even those that are silly fill out a fairly accurate picture of the absolute circus that the clerical RCC in Ireland, and abroad, has become.

So I would ask RN to give the “anonymous ones” a break.

If you’d like an example of someone who dared to put his name and reputation on the line to make complaints of wrongdoing, you need only look at the now infamous case of Dom Benedict Anderson OSB.

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We’re you one of the “Anonymous Ones” on here asking for details about his wife and children around the time he was getting the cowardly abusive phonecalls?

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RN isn’t the first to ask for the use of an avatar name. It doesn’t have to reveal your identity. It would just assist on who is commenting what.
If DG has commented on Monday and he is now commenting this evening, one can comment on a matter from a few days previous.
People can talk to RN about comments he has made over a number of days. RN or anyone would be hard pressed to identify an “Anonymous” contributor’s trail of comments over the same number of days, thus negating the possible of a more meaningful conversation where it’s like the Anonymous contributor has been rebooted!

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Seamus. Some of the eejits frequenting this blog have neither the intelligence nor awareness to even think of id’s to facilitate replies. You’ll note that many of the more stupid ones are anonymous.

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Absolutely no problem with people posting anonymously directly stuff at me. But some of the posts published and unpublished were degrading. While I was prepared for it, there is a limit to it. Challenge me, don’t attempt to defame me.

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7.21: Robert – no one should be defamed in any way on this blog or on any site. Did not you do this to DB? Apologising doesn’t make the act of defaming go away!!”

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RN is an entertaining soul – he parades his conspicuous as a badge yet derides the privilege of anonymity as in some way cowardly or timid at the same time bullying and threatening in a rather immature manner ‘you wouldn’t dare say that my face’ – I wouldn’t assume that RN – life is marathon not a sprint and that day may surely come.

This much I know – Catholicism has struggled to marry spiritually and sexuality since the beginning – from the early Fathers, through to Augustine, Aquinas, Trent, Vatican Ii and PJPIi masturbation is seen as sinful and wrong etc – so obsessed are you about it that you felt compelled to inform the blog that you avoid ‘porn and masturbation’ – I’d say that’s both a virtue signal and an inappropriate over share leading me to suspect a deeper struggle in those areas than you would care to admit but if it helps parade it as conquering and vanquishing good luck to you.

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6.05: Blessed Anonymity: An interesting response to Robert. Robert doesn’t like being challenged. When he is anniyed, certainky in his videos, he becomes all to loud and OTT. I respect his views but when he expressed his comments today about pornography and masturbation, I thought he gave information we didn’t need. I wondered too if any of his family or children are reading Pat’s blog, now that he is using it as a platform for his opinions, beliefs and teachings. I would be horrified if any younger family member reads his utterances. Any one of us can become consumed by attention on a blog but we also have to be discerning about personal revelations. We know we should never trust social media platforms or blogs. We can get very, very hurt. Pat is used to dealing with toughness and bullies. I truly hope Robert will not get hurt because of his views and his expression of those views.

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ROBERT NUGENT how dare you mention Masturbation on here, it’s like mentioning drinking to alcoholics . . . ROLF

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Pat can we have a special blog day for Masturbation, it’s very popular here, you’ll get good viewing figures.

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4.35pm
Humanity has been publishing porn (images of human sex) since the days of the caveman – the human animal is hyper sexual and seeks sexual variety – I realise that’s unpalatable and offends a Victorian morality but it’s true – outlawing pornography is like chasing prostitution out of town – both necessary and part of every human society since the beginning- all I would say is don’t knock it until you try it.
Oh and in my experience moral crusaders are invariably hypocrites whose drug is the thrill and heat of moral indignation.
Jesus did not condemn by name masturbation, pornograpy or prostitution except to say that prostitutes were exemplar at entering the kingdom of God whereas the priests, scribes and Pharisees were not.

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How exactly is porn and especially prostitution “necessary”?
Why is a woman who objects to her husband using other women’s bodies wrong in her objections?
Our Lord didn’t condemn trolling any more than he condemned porn … maybe you think your comments above are blessed?
Furthermore, prostitutes do not enter the Kingdom of God BECAUSE they’re prostitutes you dimwit.
Furthermore, humanity have been killing each other since the days of the cavemen, antiquity is not an argument for something being good or even necessary.

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Pat: Your headlines for today’s blog begs questions. You said you believe in and celebrate the sacraments. Presumably you use the Catholic Rite. Presumably too you receive a stipend from those who avail of the sacraments from you. I have no difficulty with this. But: What is the difference between you celebrating the sacraments, along with visiting the sick and saying house masses where you receive a stipend and other Catholuc priests doing similar? I don’t see how you can accuse priests of using the sacraments as a means of clerical control when you are doing likewise!! Is it not the same dynamic? I’d be interested to know your views – and not in a one line response. Same sacraments, same Catholic church teaching, same moments of grace, same giving of a stipend…I have never abused the Holy Sacraments to exercise control over anyone. Ever. As for stipends: have never requested any. If people give an offering, I’m grateful, if not, it doesnt bother me. How is my way different to your way?

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People are bound under pain of sin to go toyou for Sunday Mass and canon law gives you control over Catholic marriages.

I impose no such obligations on people.

You get an annual salary and stipends.

I live on stipends and have no salary

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7.29: Pardon me Pat: this is bull***t. It’s what I thought you’d say. There is absolutely NO difference between what you do and what I do except in marriages. People are NOT BOUND BY ME to go to Sunday Mass under any kind of pain. Niw, its a person’s own choice. Nonsense. You of course will perform a celebration for any kind of relationship. You officiated at over 4000 + weddings at quite a fee!! That’s a huge sum of money. Incidentally any stipend we receive is declared for tax purposes and forms part of my annual salary. Your “get out clauses” don’t fool anyone. You also have a joint income! Pat, stop trying to fool us. Your entitled to your salary but don’t be so arrogant as to say we’re controlling people through the sacraments. Your theology and ecclesiology are defective.

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You’d be some clem if you went into the Priesthood for “the money”. Our local priest is paid €20k out of our donations to run the parish and pay for the maintenance. Not a lot for a seven day week job, on call all hours. He sends his stipends to a fellow Priest colleague in Africa which is of great help to him and that parish. The annual accounts are published showing all in our parish newsletter each year. There is usually always small deficit carried into the next year. It’s the way to run a parish and keep an eye on things. Then again we’re all serving Satan according to Holy Lordship Pat. Now scoffing trolls your turn . . .

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Pat at 7.29. Surely you can do better than this? This represents a paucity of awareness of the inherent contradictions in your ministry. You do quite well financially.

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As a result of my own personal struggle and coping. Not down to any church salary.

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By Post Author

Sacraments are externalizations of amazing Grace filled moments between God and the individual/community. Of course some of those in the court of the bejeweled skirt brigade want to control it. Where is the Real Jesus and would we recognize him if he stood in front of us

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8.36: But….You have a salary and a supporting income. Does your congregation not support you? It seems very strange to me Pat, that despite a the “followers” and “supporters” you have in your blog that your Oratory doesn’t seem to be visited or inhabited by them in support of your ministry. I’d have expected that for the platform you give to so many of them

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8.17
Do you know what the crossed keys mean on the papal flag,,,,An RCC Logo. It is exactly control through whatever…..Incidentally, the great banking institutions use it for a similar purpose…..Dont go all Petrine either!!!!!

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https://www.complicitclergy.com/news/

Aggregated news and commentary from across the web regarding cover-up of the sexual abuse scandal: Top Story;

What Are Bishops Supposed to Teach?
”What is a Catholic bishop supposed to teach? The Oath of Fidelity on Assuming an Office to be Exercised in the Name of the Church supplies a succinct answer: “In fulfilling the charge entrusted to me in the name of the Church, I shall hold fast to the deposit of faith in its entirety; I shall faithfully hand it on and explain it, and I shall avoid any teachings contrary to it.”

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They teach whatever new age sh1te comes into their heads and whatever they think will made them popular in the media, while the media laugh at them.

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Pat, complicit clergy is an anti vax site and you said you didn’t want antivaxxer nonsense on here. It’s been slipped in sideways.

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Don’t sink to pathetic name calling. Play the ball not the man. If you can’t make decent argument on the actual subject, then it’s clear you haven’t got any.

Pat any chance you could put this simple chart up, and at the top of your Blog as a reminder every day, it would improve the quality of arguments and blog here no end. It’s painful having to read past all the total junk to get to the nuggets.

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8:56 You don’t seriously think the people posting comments calling each other wankers and going on about gas bills and Lidl are interested in a sensible discussion did you?

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They might think it is sensible and useful for themselves and don’t know any better, I believe in giving them the benefit of the doubt. There are a few people trying to bring decent and challenging points to the table that are good for all of us.

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There’s some amount of jerking off on today’s blog Pat, we know now what all these trolls like to do in their spare time ROFL

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I know this is probably the worst place to ask, but is the Sunday obligation that was lifted for Covid now reinstated?

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8.41: No it’s not reinstated officially and elderly parishioners and all who are sick do not have to fulfil such an obligation.

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If people want to pay Pat good money for his services that they can’t get elsewhere, that’s Pat’s business. We live in a free market.

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People must view priests and sacraments that come at a cost, and it’s up to them whether they want to pay for them or not; just like solicitors, accountants, and tradespeople, you can shop around and find a better deal. You can always do a lot of them yourself; you can baptism your children and buy a loaf of Hovis and a bottle of wine for £6. After all, Jesus said, when two or three are gathered in my name, I will be in your midst.

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Re the comments about different seminaries above, is there a special seminary for nonces? Oh no, my mistake. They’re all for nonces.

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Round and round in a circle it goes every day . . . obsessed with sex, wanking, money and poor mouthing . . . this blog is definitely Irish LOL

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On the contrary, some cultures e.g. America like to bum about how much money and “success” they have, not how little. Whereas the old Irish proverb states tis more satisfying to see your neighbours cow die than rise to own two cows.

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Pat, before we all go bananas with the intensity of commentary, can we have some lighter moments. Can I recommend the Canadian You Tube “Just for laughs”. It’s brilliant. Perhaps you might upload some…we need humour in these times. It will be a great ending for the day.

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What will priests do when implementing the new law to confirm age before viewing porn. I imagine it will be linked to credit cards? Going to be some very frustrated and irritable clerics.

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@10.11pm Seeing that you seem to be already heads up in all the ins and outs of this you probably have submitted already your own credit card info. Deflection is a great thing.

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I just visited RN’s Facebook site and was shocked to find that all the videos there were anti vax propaganda

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