PORTSMOUTH.

Bishop Pat,

The events of the PRF and whether it is safe from being raided are not yet ended, your recent blog entries about this subject have missed out several interesting mysteries.

Why have the trustees of the Portsmouth Diocese not been shown the letter from the Charity Commission addressed to them and received by the £100,000 a year COO and Bishop Egan in February, they both received the letter and have denied that they have any such letter but it has been seen by some high placed people who are in fear of revealing their knowledge. The reason why they have buried it is because it contains strong criticisms of them and the trustees, and how they have taken over the Priests Retirement Fund, in particular they are criticised for not consulting with the priests and treating the two lay people who resigned very badly. They are told to go off and get some training in conflict management amongst other guidance. It is a very strongly worded letter and they went mental when they read it. They have used their very highly paid London based solicitors to manipulate events and have only showed the trustees the solicitors’ letters. Cover ups always are the way tyrants are found out, lets hope that happens soon.

Why did the £100,00 a year COO publicly state that she had no agenda when taking over the PRF, only to order one month later 1) an immediate change in the policy for means assessments, 2) to suggest that the diocese would not pay any residential care home fees (when the priest cannot pay) and 3) to start to sell off PRF capital assets and use for the recurring annual costs of looking after retired priests so that the diocese doesnt have to foot the bill – that of course allows her to continue to spend diocesan money on the projects she and Bishop Egan want to fund rather than looking after the retired priests. But as anyone with basic knowledge of finances knows, that will only happen until the capital runs out – maybe in 4 years time, by then no properties for retired priests, no PRF assets and no way of paying for rents income grants and residential care. But by then both of them will have gone leaving someone else to start again. A real scandal that if the people in the pews who donated knew would lead to some serious questioning, but they have secrecy as their middle names and at the moment are confident they can get away with it.

Many priests in the diocese are now worried about their future retirement provision, are we returning to Fr Ted in the attic days having been the leader in the care and support of our retired priests we now look like we are winning the race to the bottom.

FATHER TONY CASHMAN RIP

Bishop Pat,

Tony Cashman, who was a priest for many years in Portsmouth Diocese. He inspired many people including those who tuned into local radio and TV in the South of England. He had an extraordinary ability to communicate the Good News of Jesus Christ as the Way the Truth and the Life.

He then met and fell in love with a woman, and they eventually married. After many years of married blissfulness, his wife died three years ago.

Tony requested Bishop Philip Egan to return to part-time ministry in his beloved parish of St. Joseph’s Basingstoke. His request received widespread support from the diocese clergy and the people who knew him. But the despotic Bishop Egan of Portsmouth refused the request and did not even meet with Tony.

He and many others were saddened by the lack of love, forgiveness, and compassion.

What a contradictory church we have. We have some wonderful married priests of the Ordinariate while people like Tony cannot minister to people who love them just because they married. It is well beyond time that this issue was seriously addressed by the Church.

We are the laughingstock of the world with the ridicule of our own members
Tony’s Funeral is on Wednesday 26 April.

PAT SAYS,

From the perspective of this blog and its readers, Hexham and Newcastle and Portsmouth are in absolutely appalling condition.

Apart from JPL and a few others, the big problems facing Portsmouth seem to be in the areas of governance and finance.

Basically, EGAN is the problem.

It’s hardly surprising that Egan treated Tony Cashman with such a lack of compassion.

“The nearer the Church, the further from God”.

287 replies on “PORTSMOUTH.”

EGAN and HAUSCHILD need to be stopped. I cannot imagine what it must be like being stuck under their rule.
The Nuncio should be informed.

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