I never paid attention to Les Misérables when it first appeared on television a zillion years ago — despite my mom’s insistence that I watch it right through — except for this scene with the bishop, which I saw in passing, and which always stayed with me. Perhaps you can draw some… um… analogies…
Aaagghhh! What a fright! Here.
This image from The Coca Cola Company incorporates Haddon Sundblom’s Santa Claus. Santa is from Saint and Claus is from Nicholas. Nika is Greek for conqueror and laus is Greek for People. Saint Nick is the Conqueror of People.
The Coca Cola site mentions that Saint Nick is sometimes depicted in Bishop’s robes, that is, the red with ermine borders. They don’t say that he was a Roman Catholic Diocesan Bishop. They don’t say that the Catholic Church canonized him as a saint. They don’t say that he worked countless miracles in his unending work of serving our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the poorest of the poor. They absolutely don’t say that this holy bishop went out of his way to financially help the desperately poor father of three girls, who were in immediate danger of being pimped by their father into prostitution in an effort to make some money.
Sundblom’s depiction depicts the innocent joy of chastity and fellowship. I wonder why Snap doesn’t sue Coca Cola for the outrage of depicting a Catholic Bishop in a good and holy manner! At any rate, isn’t it always amazing how thoroughly the secular culture uses all that which is Roman Catholic in origin for all that is good and holy? Actually, no suprise there. Think about how the world history books in use in high schools and universities utterly ignore the Catholic Church, so that only about 1% of history is actually presented, a distorted 1% at that.
Today’s feast of Saint Nick is overwhelmingly huge still today in some countries around the world, where the canonized saint, and not Coca Cola’s marketing is celebrated. I love how gift giving is associated with a Catholic saint. Don’t forget, in remembrance of this great saint, remember that gift giving can be saving men, women, teenagers and children from prostitution. And wouldn’t that make for a wonderful celebration of Christmas all around! What can you do today ?
Filed under religion
[ Click on the picture to go to the TOUGH MUDDER site to read the father/son story there ]
Just a few years older, on Burnt Island, on the Canadian/American border, in the magnificent Lake of the Woods. I’m not holding the fish this time, but rather a snake. I guess some things never change! Hah! And yes, Saint Patrick, there are snakes on some islands to this day!
A few years later yet again. I enjoyed fishing. Maybe that helped me to reflect on things…
I hope the statue of limitations for limits of fish exceeded is over. We must have had some 60 pounds of fish in just one morning. Yikes!
Mom’s are great. But a father in the family is simply irreplaceable. Super heroic moms are left on their own and try to do the best they can, which in some cases is wonderful indeed. Of course, two moms or dads is too many. I thank the Lord that I’ve had a great father and mother (both passed away in the early 1990s). There are very, very many who have not had that experience. Great good can be drawn out by our Lord from that cross that the fatherless bear. And that good will make them wonderfully balanced children of the Lord… that is… IF the Lord is invited into the situation, hopefully sooner than later.
While avoiding some crosses in life in this way, that doesn’t at all mean that I haven’t had other crosses to bear. Nobody but nobody escapes having a cross in this life. Thank God for that! Crosses are the way we come to know both the justice and the mercy of our dear Lord.
By far the most horrific cross, though most useful for my spiritual life, was to be a witness time and again to the terribly destructive presence of Judas priests and Judas bishops in the Church, those who have rejected being Fathers of their Parish Families of Faith, those who have rejected being Fathers of their Dioceses and Archdioceses. There were many decades when FATHERLY GOVERNANCE was totally abandoned by the vast majority of bishops, who opted, incredibly, in the darkest of times, to embrace the most surreal optimism that everything is O.K., that there is no need for discipline, no need for correction, no need for truth, no need for morals, ’cause we’re all just so nice together already… Sigh. This is when the worst sins of hatred, abuse, disunity occured. The worst. Abandon fatherliness and you abandon the Church and throw society into chaotic hell.
To the point… um… points!
(1) The fatherly governance exercised by a bishop does not mean what it meant early on in the abuse crisis, when firstly some bishops shuffled some offenders about, and secondly, with their backs agains the wall, blamed youngsters for not protecting themselves. The idea here was that all priests are always good (perhaps thinking of them what they unfortunately thought of themselves), unless they’re entrapped, but that doesn’t mean they’re bad. Sigh. It was all smoke and mirrors for the sake of making a good show for the media.
(2) The fatherly governance exercised by a bishop does not mean what it now is thought to mean today by almost all bishops, almost without exception, that is, holding all priests to be as guilty as hell, but not doing anything about it until they are accused, in which case the priests are immediately discarded with no due process because they are all already guilty, always have been. Quick! Without even contacting the priest, make a settlement! Don’t even ask about any allegations! Who gives a damn for the youngster or the priest? Just make the settlement! Save money! And the priest, very possibly innocent, is out of the priesthood and even thrown into prison because the bishop has nothing fatherly about him, no governance, no oversight, no care for his children… just cowardly running away behind more smoke and mirrors for the sake of making a good show for the media. Sigh. NOTHING HAS CHANGED. If injustice can be wrought against some for the sake of saving money, for the sake of making a good show for the media, for the sake (now with blood on one’s hands) of congratulating oneself for having the power to destroy both youngsters and priests in one fell swoop, then, in those circumstances, there will be injustice wrought against others, youngsters again, in times to come. Like clockwork. If there is no fatherly governance, but rather cowardly sycophantic, greedy, slimy non-fatherliness, trouble is already here: HERE.
(3) Father governance is about justice for all. Do it, or risk being damned to hell for eternity. I have a suggestion for all bishops and chancery toadies who have never known true fatherly governance: Do the Tough Mudder event — or even some fishing if you can’t do that — and then add one last bit to the end of your great time, and you’ll learn how to be fishers of men in the way Jesus intended:
But Father George! But Father George! Do you mean we have to be crucified?
Look, just be just to all, and you’ll know what it means to be crucified, because you won’t be able to congratulate yourselves any longer; you won’t be able to impress the press any longer; you won’t be able to save money any longer. Just let yourselves be killed off for the sake of justice, and live for Christ Jesus, and be Fathers to your families of faith, and get people to heaven!
- 
One of the best analyses I’ve read in a long time about the lack of a father in families comes from Father Gordon MacRae (About) over on These Stone Walls, in a post he put up as a follow up to Fathers Day. I quadruple dare you to read it
To read one of the best takes ever on this, just click on the picture.
I double-dare you.
Filed under abuse, martyrdom, Persecution, politics, Pro-Life, separation of church and state
O.K. folks! You want a cool (so to speak) fire and brimstone sermon that will shake you up? http://olrl.org/snt_docs/fewness.shtml That’s the great Saint Leo of Port Maurice. Super wonderful.
Now then, having read that most Yikesfull sermon, see the post AND comments of the post: Why would a nice priest go to hell? – Yikes! - HERE!
It’s about humble thanksgiving for Mary’s Son, about enthusiastic friendship with Him! Look to Him!
But, that’s only if you’re brave enough to have a serious thought for the day…
I double dare you!
Yep. This thought for the day is like extreme sport fully sick awesomeness.
Filed under Catholic, saints, Spiritual Life
In a previous post, I mentioned a great solution to the debt facing seminarians and religious as they go through their formation. A priest dropped a comment to say this:
A similar problem exists for newly ordained priests. Many of us may not have had debt going into seminary, but we do have debt coming out of the seminary. Many of us had to go into debt in order to pay for our seminary education (not every diocese pays all expenses) and then we spend years and years of our priesthood trying to pay it off.
Laity, listen up! No one’s talking entitlement here. Not at all. And I know many of you get stuck paying your education loans for years to come. But priests can’t do the extra job at McDonalds to pay things off either. One might do well to figure out just what priests are paid and what benefits they have in your particular diocese. If things look pretty dire, why not team together and find out about paying off your new priest’s seminary education bill in one shot? That would be a pretty cool ordination gift, don’t you think? Hey, you Knights of Columbus! This means you too!
Anedote: When I was a lowly deacon, I was getting $200 total per month, no benefits, no retirement. Nothing. Forget health insurance altogether. I was required with that $200 to get a car, pay for the repairs, pay for the registration and tags and insurance and gasoline and oil and tires. I also had to pay for my own groceries. I used to survive on 0.17¢ cardboard boxes of macaroni and orange sawdust gritty powder cheese, which I can still taste. I’m not complaining. To me, it’s all an adventure. For quite a few parishes, all I had was a bicycle. I remember riding that bike over to the high school (out of session in the summer) in order to speak to one of the priests in the offices there. I had to cross a picket line of teachers wanting much more money and benefits. I was taunted and mocked. One fellow in particular said I was terribly rich for having a bicycle. He probably thought I had an expensive car as well. Nope. I constantly used that bicycle, especially for runs to the hospital to see patients. When I did get a car, I had to avoid mud puddles, since the floor was so rusted out I would get soaked when there was any water on the road. But that’s O.K.! However, the director of the hospital was pretty upset when I had to do an emergency overnight and had nothing to pay him. And it’s not that the diocese was paying so much for my studies. My parents, God rest them, paid for pretty much everything. That is NOT the case of all seminarians, and many priests are saddled with an enormous debt and have nothing with which to pay it off. Should they get a side job at the gasoline station? Just a thought… Some priests are paid extremely well, but others are not. Find out!
Saint John Marie Vianney statue outside the Confessions Chapel in Lourdes, France
I mean, there’s gotta be some priests in heaven, right? As far as I know, unless there has been some recent canonizations which slip my mind at the moment (very possible), there is only ONE, that is, count them all, only ONE canonized parish priest in the history of the Church: Saint Jean-Marie Vianney, the famed Curé d’Ars. That’s it.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m guessing that it’s not easy to be a parish priest! I’m excluding priests who have become bishops, founders of religious orders, martyrs and such like. Just plain and simple parish priests. Just the Curé d’Ars as far as I know.
Of course, one doesn’t need to be canonized a saint in order to be a saint in heaven! But the question seems particularly important:
Why would any priest find himself in heaven?
Having seen more parishes from the inside-out, whether diocesan or religious, whether in the USA or right around the world, in the city or the country, in affluence or dire poverty, I make the following observations:
I could go on, but you get the idea… It’s not about lording it over other priests. It’s not about how big a bureaucracy one has had in a parish. It’s about fidelity in the family of faith: Fidelity! Fidelity! Fidelity! And that’s it. That’s all of it.
Also see: Why would any priest go to purgatory? Also see: The Purgatory Page
Also see: Why would a nice priest go to hell? This post has been updated with the research of one of our readers.
Finally:
Update: Although I’m a fourth degree Knight of Columbus, and although Father Michael McGivney was declared “venerable” by Pope Benedict XVI, he doesn’t count, not being canonized (yet)!
Filed under Prayers for Priests
The altar boy, forgetting his office, nevertheless brilliantly shows us what active participation is all about: Adoration of God, to our Heavenly Father, through, with and in Jesus, by the firey unity of the Holy Spirit.
Thanks for Happy Fathers Day wishes. I would like to share this one from an email. Just to say, whenever I get comments like this, or whenever someone uses the title “Father” with my name, it is an examination of conscience, and a chance for humble thanksgiving to the Lord, who alone perfectly manifests what fatherhood is all about:
Happy Father’s Day Father George!
Thank you for your generous sacrifice and for all that you do in the service of our Lord. Thank you for being a spiritual Father to me in every sense of the word. Thank you for your example, your kind words, your encouragement, and your humor. Thank you for your constant reminders to always look to Him – he who is so kind and…. AND so good! Happy Father’s Day! [...snip...] I’m sure you have seen this prayer before, but I offer it for you today. Gone are the days, it seems, when the faithful offered a kiss to the hands of their Priest. I think it’s a custom that needs to return and maybe bring back some of the reverence we once had for our Priests and who they represent. I remember the awe it inspired in me to see my own proud, strong Dad, offer such a kiss to our Parish priest. That gesture taught me a lot. I ask Our Lady to bring you comfort and peace today and every day. Have a wonderful day Father George!
Kissing the hands of a newly ordained priest during the first blessings
The Beautiful Hands of a Priest
We need them in life’s early morning,
We need them again at its close;
We feel their warm clasp of true friendship,
We seek it while tasting life’s woes.When we come to this world we are sinful,
The greatest as well as the least.
And the hands that make us pure as angels
Are the beautiful hands of a priest.At the altar each day we behold them,
And the hands of a king on his throne
Are not equal to them in their greatness
Their dignity stands alone.For there in the stillness of morning
Ere the sun has emerged from the east,
There God rests between the pure fingers
Of the beautiful hands of a priest.When we are tempted and wander
To pathways of shame and sin
‘Tis the hand of a priest that absolve us.
Not once but again and again.And when we are taking life’s partner
Other hands may prepare us a feast
But the hands that will bless and unite us,
Are the beautiful hands of a priest.God bless them and keep them all holy,
For the Host which their fingers caress,
What can a poor sinner do better
Than to ask Him who chose them to blessWhen the death dews on our lids are falling,
May our courage and strength be increased
By seeing raised o’er us in blessing
The beautiful hands of a priest.
Just to say: The first time my hands were kissed as a priest was immediately after my ordination, when giving first blessings. This practice still continues to this day.
The hands of a priest are consecrated, specially anointed. They anoint the sick, absolve sin, consecrated the Body and Blood of Christ Jesus at Holy Mass… Kissing the hands of a priest is an an incredibly humble manifestation of faith in the sacrament of Holy Orders, the office of the priesthood in that of the High Priesthood of Jesus, our God and Savior.
Are priests sinners? Also. No one has forgotten that. Kissing the hands of a priest is the most outrageous way to remind a priest to be holy as our Heavenly Father is holy. I am always shocked and amazed and in thanksgiving for humble faith in the priesthood in the face of my own weakness when someone kisses my hands. Not so infrequent, actually. Yikes! and Yikes! again!
Filed under Catholic
In the old Canon Law of the Church, and also in the new Canon Law of the Church, both parish families and priests as fathers of those parish families are to have the benefit of the stability that one would witness with faithful fatherhood in a sacramental-biological family.
Some decades ago, the more progressive, liberal, more merely administrative and political types petitioned for an indult granting to the Episcopal Conference the right to transfer priests out of their parishes after a mere six years, all as a matter of course. In practice, some have renewed this for a second term of six years, but almost impossibly beyond that.
Just to say, all things being equal, there has never been even one priest, appointed parish priest before the 1983 code, and who appealed a threatened transfer out of his parish, appealed all the way to the Holy See, who ever lost that appeal. Not one, ever. The Church wants priest to be stable fathers of their parish families.
At any rate, the six-year model made for a great deal of politicking with bishops both on the part of priests and parishioners:
Just to say:
Make the analogy with a family with one mother and as many fathers, one after the other, as there are children. None of the children love any of the fathers, especially not their own. Very common, no? This is what happens in parishes. It’s bad for everyone involved. Priests have to know that they are fathers. If not, there will be trouble.
Priests have to know that they are married to the Church by the Sacrifice of the Mass they offer, with such wedding vows: “This is my body given for you in sacrifice… my blood shed for you in sacrifice.” If they don’t know that, if they are reduced to being administrators, anything goes. They will most like reject the doctrine and morality of the Church, permit divorce and remarriage (at least on the quiet, in the confessional, which is a horrific lie to the penitents), and, all in lockstep, will begin to benignly tolerate all sorts of rubbish, until it all gets worse, much worse.
Sure, there are priests who are constantly on the move for one reason or another. I belong to a group of misisonary priests, who are constantly living out of a suitcase, giving parish missions. And I’m a hermit! But I once was in a cycle of troubleshooting parishes for bishops, and would move from one to the next. But that doesn’t mean that fatherliness is thereby lessened. One has jacked up the whole thing to be a father for the Church beyond this or that parish family (although all priests are priests for the whole Church, as are bishops).
What’s important is to know that a priest is a father because of the Sacrifice of the Mass he offers.
To help your priest, know he is a priest, go to Mass, go to confession, start up Eucharistic adoration in your parish and have hours offered for priests and vocations to the priesthood.
“But Father! But Father!
We don’t like that priest! We want a better priest!”
Great! There are many reasons not to like a priest which are very legitimate. Pray and act.
If there are things which have to changed right here, right now, fine! Correct him in all charity like any son or daughter would correct a wayward father.
Rebuffed? Go to him with a group. Rebuffed? Make an appointment with the Bishop. Not granted or rebuffed? Write to him with copies to the Apostolic Nuncio in Washington and to the appropriate dicasteries in the Holy See. Don’t give up until you get a priest who is not anti-Catholic.
But first of all, help him to see the error of his ways, sitting down with him and explaining the situation about the reality of life and the Church at this present time, and Christ having been tortured and put to death, and takes His risen life with us deadly seriously, and that you all have the right to the sacraments as Christ and Church have provided, that is, not by way of some self-congratulatory remake done by the priest.
Having said that — whew! — wish your priests, all of them, deserving or not, a Happy Fathers Day, and mean it, and make sure they know you mean it. Look them in the eye and say it. If they deserve it, this will encourage them all the more. If they don’t deserve it, the words will work on them, encouraging them to turn around and be priests, knowing why they are priests.
Filed under Catholic
The Dallas Charter would not permit Saint Peter to re-enter ministry since, you know, he was once in prison. Saint Paul was also imprisoned many times. And Jesus was jailed overnight as well. “But they were never accused of abuse!” goes up the cry. Answer: Were you there? Are you so sure no one yelled that just to be obnoxious? Really? It happened to Saint Pio of Pietrelcina. If you think it can’t happen to you, you are living in unreality.
[As seen on These Stone Walls]
Father Gordon,
The very first moment, so to speak, in which we enter the gates of our heavenly Father’s Kingdom — by way of His goodness and kindness — we’ll know that our lives on this earth have been so very terribly short, just exactly long enough to have us dragged into the embrace of Jesus’ Father and ours, brought to be in joyful, humble thanksgiving for our Lord’s providential and permissive will.
In the very next moment – however much we priests were maligned on this earth, marginalized, beaten down, imprisoned – it is then that we will realize that we are priests forever: Tu es sacerdos in aeternum!
Father Gordon, I very much recognize, from my own experiences of betrayal in the priesthood, your well stated hierarchy of suffering. You say:
“My greatest suffering is not wrongful imprisonment, however, as horrible as that actually is. I hope readers know by now that I have not been languishing in prison beating my own priestly breast in a litany of woe for eighteen years. My far greater suffering is that the Dallas Charter considers prison, even to be wrongfully imprisoned, to be the end of priesthood forever. Any Church bureaucrat who thinks that prison by its very nature marks the end of my priesthood seriously underestimates both me and priesthood. No consistent reader of These Stone Walls could ever draw such a flawed conclusion.
I have to wonder just what the bishops voting for the Dallas Charter will do before the judgment seat of God, when our Heavenly Father will surely recall when His Son, When Jesus Was in Prison, and when Saint Peter was in prison (Acts 12,3 ff), and, as you mentioned in The Conversion of Saint Paul, when Saint Paul bragged of having been imprisoned more than all the others (2 Corinthians 11,23 ff ) due to dangers from — oh my… – ψευδαδέλφοις, from false brothers…
As with Saint Paul, there have been some quiet conversions of a tiny handful of those having anything to do with the Dallas Charter. This is, of course, our hope, that no hatred of one’s brother priests is stronger than the solicitous goodness and kindness of Jesus, also for our bishops!
You say that “the wounds of the priesthood must be healed,” and also that the raising of the Sacred Host at the consecration at Mass is very much sacrificial. And I think that it is that sacrifice which will bring about a more rambunctuous conversion of some bishops, who will then have the wherewithal to counter the self-congratulating rhetoric of a Rossetti, or an Arsenault, or a MacCormack. It is for this reason that you are very much the priest’s priest. You’ve certainly shaken up my priesthood, to know what that priesthood is all about. I thank you for that, Father.
You and Marty and others have had very charitable things to say about me, but I beg that such comments be seen with the understanding that I’m someone in the midst of facing a steep learning curve. I don’t deserve to know what you’ve taught me about the priesthood, Father, but in that way you also reflect the goodness and kindness of Jesus, and, again, I thank you for that. Thanks for showing us the Way. Thanks for also being this priest’s priest. I’m sure Father Michael and Father James echo these sentiments, and that such thanksgiving resounds in the hearts of the likes of Ryan and David and so many readers of These Stone Walls. For all of us, tu es sacerdos in aeternum!
Father George
Filed under abuse
It is not we who, because of what we even correctly think, offer ourselves with Christ in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. That’s just so much chicken droppings. No, we don’t save ourselves, however much we might congratulate ourselves and spit on others who aren’t so clever as ourselves.
Instead, it is Christ Jesus who draws us to Himself as He is lifted up on the cross, He, who is pierced through, whom all peoples of the earth will look upon. He offers us with Himself to the Father.
In that, He would have us cooperate, agree to what is going on, in all truth, in all correctness.
ORTHODOXY, biblically and then ecclesially, doesn’t so much refer to correct teaching as to the glory of truth of God that we only come to know through being drawn into adoration, so that we are primarily talking about correct worship, and from that comes our correct teaching, setting all things straight, that we are sinners who receive the graces of redemption and salvation from our Savior, who is God and Man, the Son of the Immaculate Virgin, and all this by way of the Sacrifice of the Mass, through, with and in which we are in humble thanksgiving before this greatest glory of the truth of goodness and kindness of God’s solidarity with us. [Being half-German, I like long sentences!] In all that I’m not trying to pull a “will before intellect” Franciscan thing, for, instead, the Son of God, who draws us into adoration, is Truth Himself. Think about it.
Comment: I’m really tired of the tiresome “orthodox” priests and bishops who, that is, those few among them, who are making a show of orthodoxy, but nevertheless remain entirely aloof from the sufferings of the brethren, lest they not be considered to have distanced themselves sufficiently from anything, you know, that which really reflects how Christ Himself — the Son of God — reached into this truly damned quagmire of ours so as to pluck us out and bring us to Himself.
Why be so aloof, so distant? Because one might think one might get dirty that way, you know, in the opinion of those other “orthodox” people who are our own worshipers of ourselves, and who would criticize our eating and drinking with those who are assumed to be sinners but are not or are no longer, for they have, instead, been brought close to “Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable myriads of angels in festal gathering” (Hebrews 12,22).
A picture beseeching us to be in solidarity in our othodox worship:
Having said all that, I’m no great example of solidarity or anything else. But don’t let the messenger discredit the message, or we’re all lost, right?
Here’s a chance to be in solidarity: HERE! There is a specific request made about sharing the link to that story. You might get some blood on you, sitting there with the Immaculate Conception. Resist the temptation to remain aloof and distance yourself. Get that blood all over yourself!
Filed under abuse
Awake at three, and then, away! Ordinations are the most happy occasion for this hermit. This is what it is all about. This is also when great bishops are most happy. Everyone remarks at the great happiness of the Bishop of Charlotte on the day of ordinations. This is when bishops are most fatherly.
Here’s Peter Shaw…
Jason Barone…
Matthew Codd…
All three new priests of Mary’s Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Hah! A rambunctious seminarian of the diocese has this licence plate:
“PONTIFICAL” ! ! ! Today was a most wonderful day, catching up with many priests and seminarians, many of whom were past students of mine at the Pontifical Seminary called the Josephinum, in Columbus, Ohio. The diocese of Charlotte is by far and away the best diocese I’ve ever been in. This is one happy hermit!
Pray, pray, pray for vocations. It is a direct command of our Lord to pray the Master of the Harvest for harvesters! Pray every day. Why not offer one session of the daily Angelus to this end?
Filed under Catholic, Prayers for Priests, seminarians, Vocations
I just may be adding some Masses for them after finishing off the 30 Masses for our Holy Father, Pope Benedict (bringing us to 915!) and another 30 Masses for the priests and bishops who are suffering so much in China. See the Holy Mass page.
We — all of us together (and especially me!) – are always in need of prayer! Besides Holy Mass, my favorite is the Emergency Chaplet of the Immaculate Conception.
But Father! But Father! Didn’t you say before that there were things that, like, needed to be changed, like, now?!
Yep. There are always things that need to be changed. But we always, always live in the family of faith, with its familiar hierarchy, which is always, always to be respected and loved and honored, no matter what. Just because some things need to be changed doesn’t change that at all.
The greatest obedience is sometimes manifested in offering a fraternal correction which may or may not be appreciated. Some may offer thanks for the courtesy of the suggestion, others may… not. But that’s beside the point.
Being faithful in the household of faith, where we are to have the same judgment of matters touching on faith and morals — and charity in all truth — caritas in veritate – is always to be maintained.
As the great Father Richard Neuhaus wrote repeatedly after 2002 until his death, living in the household of faith is about Fidelity! Fidelity! Fidelity!
Filed under Prayers for Priests
Oh my…. such a manifestation of the priesthood…
Father Gordon J. MacRae: 30 years as a priest.
What he has written is enthralling, humbling, exalting, inspiring. It puts me into humble thanksgiving mode before the High Priest of our faith, Mary’s Son, Christ Jesus. HERE!
Father talks about the inspiration to be a priest coming from the movie “The Cardinal”:
He narrows it down to the scene of saving the Most Blessed Sacrament, knowing that, in taking time to do this, they will most certainly be captured by the Nazis:
Filed under abuse
The most dangerous priest in America is the accused priest who is known to be innocent of the charges, for that fact ruins the possibility of cheap and quicky blanket settlements, in which it is not truth nor allegations nor victims nor due process for priests which are important, but only the bottom line of saving money by not litigating claims. The innocent priest is a threat to the Church in America because that fact would shake the powers that be to their very core, having them give up on serving “church as property and money”, and have them start serving the Church as the Mystical Body of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. But that’s O.K. We don’t need wimpishness in the priesthood. We need real men who follow Christ straight to the Cross. It’s that Holy Sacrifice which is important for all of us together. Nothing else. Anything else is — how to say it? — terrorism.
According to U.S. Bishops’ National Catholic Risk Retention Group, Inc. (NCRRG), all accused priests, regardless of guilt or innocence, are to be treated in a way analogous to – get this — terrorists. And you know what happens to terrorists: Kill them first; never ask questions later. If that doesn’t work, imprison them first; never ask questions later. Regardless of guilt or innocence. It’s got to stop, and it’s got to stop now. Continue reading
Filed under abuse
First scenario: Say you have 15 incidents, all of which are settled.
Second scenario: Say you have 15 more incidents, all of which are litigated.
Of course, in real life, you’ll probably lose 2/3 cases, meaning, including attorneys fees for all, $13,200,000.
Compare: $1,200,000 in blanket settlements and $13,200,000 in litigated claims in a real world scenario (excluding, unrealistically, that there usually more than one “incident” per case).
If you don’t give a damn about five innocent priests being condemned to loss of priesthood and likely imprisonment, what would you choose to pay out, not forgetting that you get a more genteel treatment with the press if you go for blanket settlements instead of litigation?
Isn’t it the policy of the National Catholic Risk Retention Group, Inc., to go for immediate settlements, thinking that it is better for many innocent men be treated as criminals than to lose… what?… perhaps the chancellorship of Wales, you know, just south-west of Manchester?
Filed under abuse
In the Garden of Gethsemane – from “The Passion of the Christ” by Mel Gibson: Judas betrays Jesus; a kiss of death thoroughly disgusting to Jesus.
A key to resolving the betrayal of priests by The Judas Crisis bishops, who effectively treat exonerated priests to be as guilty as hell, is to define the terms used:
(1) substaniated (2) non-substantiated (3) false [or] (1) credible (2) non-credible (3) false [or] (1) True (2) Libelous calumny.
SUBSTANTIATED: Some people perjure themselves, which is why sworn testimony isn’t good enough. There needs to be proof: pictures, videos, semen, witnesses… This should be what is required in a court of law. However, this level of evidence has perhaps never been required by whatever (Arch)Diocese. Note that in some “substantiated” cases, such as that of Father Gordon MacRae (About), it can turn out that the accuser and witnesses later admit of fraud and perjury, that no abuse occured, ever. That would mean that the case is no longer substantiated, and that there never was any truth to it. They easily admit to lying to get the money.
NON-SUBSTANTIATED: This category is unreasonable. It is based on the idea that if the alleged incident is theoretically possible – the priest lived on the earth at the same time as the plaintiff – then one cannot say that it didn’t happen, and that, therefore, the priest is to be held as guilty as hell. This protects, for instance, the modus agendi of The National Catholic Risk Retention Group, Inc., which cannot admit the fact of an innocent priest, ever. (See: The Judas Crisis).
FALSE: About the only time this happens is when it is proven that the accuser “existed” only on paper, a figment of the imagination of the attorney, simply to get money in the usual quicky out of court settlement in which no questions are asked. Another possibility is an admitted case of mistaken identity, which is then proven to the agreement of all. Sometimes, however, in an unusually decent process, the word “unfounded” will be used. That means that the allegations were fase, and calumny.
CREDIBLE and NON-CREDIBLE and FALSE are basically the same as the three-fold division above, but some have further nuances for who knows what end. A priest can be said to have unsubstantiated allegations against him, which are nevertheless deeded to be credible. Thus, without any proof, the priest is destroyed for life. This feeds into the ways and means of the NCRRG.
TRUE: This is when a perpetrator pleads guilty, or is proven guilty with verified pictures, videos, etc. Note that pleas of no-contest or plea bargains might later be shown to be the result of defendants being scared of a long prison sentences. Look up the stats on plea-bargains made by innocent defendants. Note that this is the usual course of affairs in a court of law. Many in this category can wind up in the category below if their cases are re-tried.
CALUMNY: This means that the accuser cannot prove the claims. Period. The priest is totally exonerated and returned to ministry with accolades. Period.
This third set of terms, no longer used, is the only way things were ever judged previously. The first two categorizations are unjust.
To put an edge on reading this, imagine that such unjust categorization of the guilt of an alleged offense (the first two sets) were to be used by Satan at the Last Judgment, with God’s permission, against those bishops who used these self-serving categorizations unjustly against their priests just to save a few bucks. Would not those bishops run themselves straight into hell… for… eternity… ? Remember, the word of the accuser is absolute, and they can have nothing to say under these rules. Think about it.
Filed under abuse
HERE! YIKES! This is a good take on the “distancing” that happens. Yikes!
Then, to get the books David has written, go HERE for his Amazon page.
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Filed under abuse
Bishop John B. McCormack, Aux. Bishop Francis J. Christian and Fr. Edward Arsenault, announce names of accused priests of the Diocese of Manchester. The attorney for the alleged victims said that he had never seen anything like it. In some cases they didn’t even ask what the allegations were.
HERE! YIKES! This is good background info for an upcoming post. Yikes!
Filed under abuse
The Lion of the Tribe of Judah reigns in heaven, but, make no mistake! He is right here with us as our High Priest. He sees all things. And… and… he is to be found within us, and always in the least of our brothers, making them the greatest among us.
A two page letter from falsely accused and wrongly imprisoned Father Gordon MacRae (About) made its way to the hermitage today. I share with you a few sentences which are particularly humbling, but publish them here as a clarion call to those who just click away from these stories all too quickly, as I had once done:
“Your recent HSH articles have made me feel as though I finally have a priestly ally in a Presbyterate that is still cowering from scandal.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer* worked very hard to inspire his fellow clergy to oppose tyranny or, at a bare minimum, not to climb into bed with it. Your recent “take no hostages” revelations of truth have been indeed inspiring. [(The Judas Crisis) and (♬Kill the Priest♬)]
We need to find other voices and empower them as well. I believe we can make a huge difference in the Catholic on-line world.”
So, enough of the cowering! Either it’s solidarity in this Church Militant, or Christ will not take our own captivity captive, but will kill us off, both body and soul in hell. So, enough of the cowering.
*Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a German Lutheran Pastor who despised the Nazis. He was imprisoned in various places, but then was remanded to Buchenwald and then Flossenbürg concentration camps. He was executed in prison just weeks before the end of the war.
There are more and more coming on board, standing in solidarity with those who suffer unjustly, come what may. These are almost exclusively laity – with so very many spiritual mothers especially! – whose prayers and sacrifices are invaluable. There are few priests and almost no bishops. We have to get more priests and more bishops.
We need your help in a practical way. We need solidarity which spreads solidarity. How to do this? How to do this? How to do this?
If you need motivation, read the first bulleted bits in The Judas Crisis. Do you want me to say that this is about the children? O.K. I will. It’s about the children. Read those bulleted points of The Judas Crisis.
Filed under abuse
Do not fear him who can kill the body, but HIM who can send both body and soul into hell, forever, and ever, and ever. Better to get to know Christ Jesus as a good friend in this Church Militant of His!
Filed under abuse
Do not fear him who can kill the body, but HIM who can send both body and soul into hell, forever, and ever, and ever. Better to get to know Christ Jesus as a good friend in this Church Militant of His!
Filed under abuse
O.K. So, the NCCB* has seen it. Good! Click the picture to enlarge. To go to the ♬ Kill the Priest ♬ post: HERE. Is this blog to be long-lived? Dunno about that. I’m surprised I didn’t see them clicking on “The Judas Crisis”, which would actually be much more interesting to them: HERE.
*Can anyone explain to me the difference (not some years ago, but today) between the NCCB and the USCCB?
From Wikipedia:
As separate organizations with distinct responsibilities, the NCCB focused on internal ecclesiastical concerns while the USCC carried forward work in society at large. The NCCB enabled the bishops to deliberate and respond collectively on a broad range of issues, with work being carried out through various secretariats, standing committees, and ad hoc committees.
On July 1, 2001, the NCCB and the USCC were combined to form the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). The merger resulted in the continuation of all of the work formerly done by the NCCB and the USCC, with the same staff.
Once in a while I’ll look at the referrers to see who’s interested in whatever posts. I was pleased to see that Tito Ewards of ThePulp.it picked up The Judas Crisis the other day, and then had EWTN’s National Catholic Register put up the link again.
The Blog for Dallas Area Catholics wrote an article about it, and A Ram in the Thicket also linked to it from their most recent article.
I was wondering if any SNAPer type sites would pick up this story, and I see that Bishop-Accountability picked up the story, as well as their their “AbuseTracker” site (recently purchased from The National Catholic Reporter (AKA: The FishWrap): here. They also picked up the “Kill the Priest” post.
* * *
Unfortunately, one of the commenters (whose discourteous and inaccurate comments I did not let get through the moderation queue) could not see through his bitterness to see the point of the post. I am distressed that he is so very bitter, and will pray for him. I ask him to re-read the post. Perhaps he will see that I am with him in solidarity.
Filed under abuse
Keep them; I pray Thee, dearest Lord.
Keep them, for they are Thine
The priests whose lives burn out before
Thy consecrated shrine.
Keep them, for they are in the world,
Though from the world apart.
When earthly pleasures tempt, allure –
Shelter them in Thy heart.
Keep them and comfort them in hours
Of loneliness and pain,
When all their life of sacrifice
For souls seems but in vain.
Keep them and remember, Lord,
they have no one but Thee.
Yet, they have only human hearts,
With human frailty.
Keep them as spotless as the Host,
That daily they caress;
Their every thought and word and deed,
Deign, dearest Lord, to bless.
I grabbed that off the Spiritual Mom’s blog over in Hawaii.
As HSH readers will know, I’ve been requesting y’all to pray this prayer of Saint Michael, once for my intentions and then for all of ye who are praying this prayer. Thank you!
Sancte Michael Archangele,
defende nos in proelio;
contra nequitiam et insidias diaboli esto praesidium.
Imperet illi Deus, supplices deprecamur:
tuque, Princeps militiae Caelestis,
satanam aliosque spiritus malignos,
qui ad perditionem animarum pervagantur in mundo,
divina virtute in infernum detrude.
Amen.
Saint Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle;
be our protection against the wickedness
and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray:
and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host,
by the power of God,
thrust into hell Satan and all the evil spirits
who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen.
Filed under Prayers for Priests, seminarians, Vocations
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.
All told, Masses offered for Benedict XVI came to 918.
י ב ר כ ך י ה ו ה ב ה ת א ם ל ת פ י ל ת מ ר י ם ה ק ד ו ש ה
May the Lord continue to bless you
according to the intercession of Mary Most Holy
