Even if this is a rain-forest in the registry of world rain-forests, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a bit of sun now and again. It is up in the mountains, but that doesn’t mean one can’t pretend to be at the beach. Thus, above, chickens at the beach! I can’t quite make out what they’re gossiping about. It’s all very hush hush. Kind of like Ireland when it hits 65 or even 70 degrees Fahrenheit on the one day of the year that there’s a bit of sun. The whole country goes to the beach and talks about whatever it is the Irish talk about when they don’t even know that there whole country has gone to hell. Yikes!
Let’s turn to the trilliums by the trilliums. Saint Patrick could have used these to explain the Most Holy Trinity to the Irish pagans, instead of the clump of shamrock that he used:
After all, trilliums have, as their name suggests, three lily like petals:
Saint Patrick got rid of the dragon like serpents inhabiting the emerald isle. One wonders if that referred to the exorcisms he surely wrought, or to actual count-the-scales snake like dragons. Sometimes people see Satan everywhere, even in dragon-serpent shaped ferns:
But one need not have much of an imagination to recognize that which is diabolic in Ireland.
The decision has been made to throw priests in jail for five years, priests who do not report to the police any sexual abuse of minors that a penitent accuses himself of in the confessional. Meanwhile, the penitent does a plea-bargain and is out in a year. Uh-huh. This isn’t about protecting children. It’s about attacking the Sacrament of Confession. It’s about using the suffering of abuse victims for an anti-Catholic agenda, which is just raping the real victims again.
Why would the ever so Catholic Irish do that, you ask? Because, by and large, the Irish have given up on the faith. Few go to Church and almost no one goes to Confession. There are few preists who have any respect for this sacrament. They don’t promote it. They don’t go themselves.
Also, almost all bishops have long ago given up calling sexual abuse a sin, speaking rather of psychological currents that manifested themselves and need treatment. However ill people can be, sin is still sin. But now, that which is most sinful is no longer sinful, just different in a way people don’t like, for now. Mark my words. Abusers of minors will be a separate class of people, like homosexuals, who will claim rights for themselves, etc., etc., etc.
TEOTWAWKI. So, it’s time for Irish priests to wake up and die right. Hear confessions, and be martyrs.
A note to pedophiles, clerical or lay: Make your way to HSH and I will hear your confession. With the grace of God, I will keep the seal of confession right to the death. By the way, did I mention that Saint John Nepomuk is a special patron of Holy Souls Hermitage?
Accompany me, Father George David Byers, S.S.L., S.T.D., as I begin life as a Catholic Priest-Hermit by choice. Holy Souls Hermitage is dedicated to the sanctification of my fellow priests, bishops, deacons & seminarians going through the purgatory of this life or the next. Prayer and sacrifice go up, of course, for both Benedict XVI and the next Successor of Saint Peter. 
Too sad. I wish the Irish Catholics would realize that that is not the new direction that the Church needs to avoid a drift towards oblivion;after the child abuse scandals, the failure to deal with them, the scathing reports, the inevitable condemnations, the continuing decline in vocations and church attendance and not least the growing perception that the Irish Catholic Church is in terminal decline,
It IS really sad. The good priests really suffer. That poor Archbishop Brown has been on my mind (suddenly and out of the blue…I don’t even know him) and in my prayers lately. I guess perhaps this all is why my guardian angel prompted me to pray for him. Wow.
I remember my friend from Ireland once said that we needed another St. Patrick to drive the snakes out of Ireland, but he meant snakes of the two -legged variety. The poor guy was fed up. He doesn’t live there anymore.
I’m right now reading Dr. John Rao’s new book Black Legends which is a history of the Church that shows how from the start (due to Original Sin mostly) it’s members have faced the constant temptation to either deal with the curveballs of history through the lens of the Incarnation and what that actually means for the the world and individuals or succumb to “business as usual” shortsighted and often extremely harmful solutions to problems. This sex abuse crisis and the way the bishops have handled it is an example of the latter way of going about things, namely, bowing to human respect and quite frankly acting as if they really do not have the theological virtue of Faith active in their souls at all.
All we can do is realize that the Church can never ultimately fail no matter how awful it seems or how awful, selfish and shortsighted the leadership at any given time is. This crisis too shall pass, although in saying this it doesn’t take away from the countless suffering souls out their harmed by abusive priests and bishops who had more love for the empty silver of human respect and “business as usual” then for care of souls and an expansive vision for leadership based on the reality of the Incarnation and what it means for history. I suppose all these folks are in dire need of much prayer.
And by the way that book Black Legends is quite worth reading… It puts this current crisis into some perspective, showing that the Church has gone through extremely dark times before and will ultimately come out on top.
I remember reading or listening to Dr Rao’s talks. This was long ago! I think this was connected with “Keep the Faith” back in the day. I’m intrigued by your recommendation of this book of his. But… I won’t solicit any donation!
Mark my words. Abusers of minors will be a separate class of people, like homosexuals, who will claim rights for themselves, etc., etc., etc.
Already happening. http://v-forvictory.blogspot.com/2011/08/front-widens-in-war-on-children.html
Fire and brimstone is coming…
Father-
Yes his talks are on KeeptheFaith.org (for $1.50 each I think) and they are quite good and very comprehensive. He also has a website: jcrao.freeshell.org where you can read some of his writings. I think he still does those Roman Forum talks in New York and in Gardone, in Italy. As for the book I make no promises that I can’t keep but if I can get another one I will send it your way. I haven’t read any history book as exciting as “Black Legends” since St. Augustine’s “City of God” or Christopher Dawsons various essays on history and the Faith. What’s nice is that he (Dr. Rao)–like St. Augustine–attempts to make sense of history through the lens of the Fall and the Incarnation and what both actually mean (or potentially mean) for those who are willing to take them seriously.