WIKI-CREEP OR SAD OLD CLERIC?

Word is circulating of an Australia Day terrorist attack on the wikipedia entry of Parramatta's Bishop Fisher. The culprit is clearly not a fan of Opus Dei either, choosing to refer to the prelature in his vulgar amendments as "Basque Homosexuales groups"

The attempt lacks any real class, failing to take advantage of far better photos of the Bishop.

While many are pointing the finger at disgruntled Parramatta clergy, the still functioning equipment comprising The Cloister's former 'Situation Room' seems to point to a Kensington address...

Now who do you suppose that could be??

NO MIRRORS IN THE COYNE HOUSE...

Brian Coyne in a recent rant to the aCatholica pew said:

Statistically young adults are amongst the largest cohort who have absented themselves from the pews and sacramental participation. We need to ask: why do bishops today even need to be giving addresses about the need to evangelise or re-evangelise the population?

Oh Brian! You are such a card!

Isn't it obvious? You and yours who occupy those pews are such a scary and un-inviting lot and not at all the best reflection of Church! But soon a new missal...

Thank God for the resilience and patience of young people!

MATURITY REQUIRES WE EMBRACE AN AUTHENTIC ABORIGINAL PARADIGM

One of our aCatholica visitors today lowered the tone of National festivities by suggesting:

You choice of images only confirms the dominant culture of "Invasion". This is not a day for all Australians as you indicate. It is only a day for the white settlers and their racist world view that has decimated the the traditional custodians of this land and their culture (Tony)

Personally I chose a number of internationally recognised Australian icons but the contributors attitude sat with me over my cup of tea and newspapers this morning. I pondered what makes people like Tony 'experts' in the field of indigenous sentiment where the glass is more often than not described as half empty? 

It was in this context I was given to consider prominent indigenous Australian leader Noel Pearson's proposition that Aboriginal Australians be given a vote to determine whether a referendum on indigenous recognition in the Constitution goes ahead.

In a piece written for The Australian today, Mr Pearson argues that if Aborigines do not support the proposition for constitutional change, then a broader referendum should not be held. "Indigenous Australians should be given the opportunity to say whether they wish to put the question to the Australian nation. If our people do not support the proposition, then it should not be put" he said.

Mr Pearson  believes too that the proposition should not be a situation where some Australians will win, and other Australians will lose, arguing that it must earn the approval of Australian elders to succeed. "If any proposed reform does not meet with Lowitja O'Donoghue's blessing, as an indigenous elder of Australia, then it will go nowhere," he says. "At the same time, if it does not meet with John Howard's blessing, as a conservative elder of Australia, it will be equally doomed."

Historian Geoffrey Blainey, who coined the phrase "the Black Armband view of history", said it might well represent the swing of the pendulum from a position that had been too favourable, too self congratulatory, to an opposite extreme that is even more unreal and decidedly jaundiced."

Mr Pearson rightly suggests indigenous recognition in the Constitution will be a test of the maturity of indigenous Australians and their leaders as much as the rest of the nation. Judging from recent remarks, Tony and his pew of experts on indigenous sentiment seem headed for an...

HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY!

SEDE VACANTE... CONCLAVE!

Fr. Lucian Pulvermacher, O.F.M.Cap. spent time in Australia from 1970-76. Elected anti-pope in 1998 he took the name Pius XIIIth for following of the last true Pope - Pope Pius the XIIth...

His holiness passed away in November 2009 and the 'see' rather astonishingly remains sede vacante with a conclave projected before 2013!

"All Wanting to be Electors are to familar themselves with the prior papal election for a upcoming election, recede of the IHM council itself, with the following pages. These pages will only be visible for short time till end of the election, via the new electors when they do come in, will be posted here with all electors known. (exception) Hidden Cardinals and Bishops will not be shown on these pages prior to the election itself, or even during the election. Special communications will take place for that screening to the voters.

Please, only serious minded need apply themselves to this page."

So if you have dreamed of donning the sacred red, or papal white, familar yourself now... visit now!

THE STONES WILL SHOUT...

Two homosexual men who paid an Indian surrogate to give birth to twin girls have won the legal case for parenting rights. The 20-month-old girls were born in Mumbai to a woman who carried eggs from an anonymous donor impregnated with sperm from one of the homosexual men. The Melbourne homosexuals went to the Family Court seeking full parental status for the non-genetic father.

"In this case, the children do not have the benefit of a mother, but they have the good fortune of having two fathers," Justice Paul Cronin found.

"While it is clear that the Act talks about a parent as a mother and a father... As a matter of law, the word 'parent' tends to suggest some biological connection, but ... biology does not really matter; it is all about parental responsibility." he said

Only a lawyer!!!

India is the most popular source of surrogate babies. Reports suggest that more than 200 surrogate babies would be born this year to Indian women, who will charge about $25,000. About 100 babies will come from the US, where the going rate is $150,000+ while about 50 will come from Thailand, where the charge is up to $50,000.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) 1989 marked a conceptual watershed in its articulation of children’s rights. Under the aegis of the UNCRC 1989, children were to be no longer seen as possessions, chattels or appendages of their parents. The Convention promulgates standards and goals of equal rights for all children to life, liberty, dignity, and personal and cultural identity; to optimum development, health, education, care and protection; to freedom from exploitation and neglect; and to civil and political rights

And yet the modern progressive homosexual is impervious to such a convention purchasing children from the poor of India and Thalaind, not to mention the United States... And they said the slave trade was dead!

Abraham Lincoln said "America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves." But should we speak out against this outrage and risk cries of fanaticism. In the words of William Wilberforce... "If to be feelingly alive to the sufferings of my fellow-creatures is to be a fanatic, I am one of the most incurable fanatics ever permitted to be at large."

JPII CHISEL WATCH...

Pope John Paull II died on the vigil of the Feast of Divine Mercy on April 2nd, 2005 - the very feast day he added to the Church calendar. Now, following confirmation of a miraculous healing he will be beatified on May 1, 2011 - the eighth day in the Octave of Easter and Divine Mercy Sunday.

But when will the first chisel blow be struck...

YELLOW THE NEW BROWN? OR IDENTITY IN CRISIS!

Sydney's Catholic Weekly reports that thirty-seven Sisters of St Joseph wore corsages of frangipani and yellow roses on January 6 to mark 50 years with the order, in honour of the crown of frangipani they wore on the day of profession. One jubilarian said “The frangipani has been significant in terms of our early form­ation".

This, on the back of the teal pashmina worn to identify sisters at the canonisation of their foundress, has some pilgrims asking still... "What of the brown habit?" One might have thought the MacKillop habit was a deeper outward expression of their unity and would hold some significance for these jubilarians.

Identity in crisis?

Not according to Sr Maria Casey, postulator for the cause of the canonisation of St Mary MacKillop, and among those celebrating the milestone. “The brown habit that the Sis­ters wore is no longer part of our image” she said. 

More's the pity!

OUR LADY OF WALSINGHAM PRAYS FOR US!

"In accordance with the provisions of the Apostolic Constitution 'Anglicanorum coetibus' of Pope Benedict XVI (4 November 2009) and after careful consultation with the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has today erected a Personal Ordinariate within the territory of England and Wales for those groups of Anglican clergy and faithful who have expressed their desire to enter into full visible communion with the Catholic Church." 

The Decree of Erection released yesterday specifies that the Ordinariate will be known as the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham and will be placed under the patronage of Blessed John Henry Newman.

What remarkable news... Australia next?

JPII CHISEL WATCH! THE MOVE IS ON... MAY DAY!

THEN NOT ONLY MY FEET, BUT MY HANDS AND HEAD AS WELL!

The doomsday machine is in overdrive at aCatholica where expert translators have concluded that the English translation of the new Roman Missal has in fact been written by aliens.

I am afraid the new translation is an absolute & total disaster & will cause many more Catholics to walk out the doors...

The wording has, basically been written by non English speaking people & is a total disaster.

Let Rome have a listen to the people in the pews before they try & implement this new translation... BarryS

The Catholic liturgies and churches are becoming more and more like alien space ships for so many other than those who have always gone along with the flow of Rome and I can understand this... Stephen

Has it occurred, do you think, that Rome has listened to the people in the pews? If some of the tripe peddled by the likes of Brian, BarryS and others who congregate at aCatholica is the benchmark, then let's not stop with the Missal because the argument for change seems overwhelming!!

IF ONLY THERE WAS AN END TO IT!

It's a new year and the doomsday machine over at aCatholica hasn't missed a beat!

"Personally I think... it is a looming PR disaster on the scale of the disaster..."

Brian Coyne - Jan 9th, 2011



And to think Brian is taking a break and the regular lead commentaries aren't scheduled to resume publication until January 16th!

For a group so convinced the end is so near, one can't help wishing they would just get on with it!

HERE'S YOUR HAT, WHAT'S YOUR HURRY... PAWN THREATENS BISHOP?

Official Pell biographer Tess Livingstone expresses the view in The Australian newspaper that "The episcopal chess board is set for big changes this year with three senior archbishops - John Bathersby in Brisbane, Adrian Doyle in Hobart and Barry Hickey in Perth - turning 75, the retirement age for bishops."

Perhaps I should restore the former Cloister practice of countdowns to aid us in keeping track of such a watershed...

Pic: David Frykman Wood Carvings 

CAFETERIA KENEALLY DISSAPPOINTED BY THE MENU...

New South Wales Premier Kristina Keneally has lashed out at the Catholic Church in Australia, saying she was "saddened" by Cardinal Pell for denouncing Catholic politicians who do not follow the church's teachings."

Among those who frequently promotes herself as a deeply committed Catholic, and having a Masters degree in religious studies, Keneally said the Cardinal risked being "interpreted as condemnatory and threatening" by urging politicians to observe Church teaching when making policy decisions on contentious social issues such as same-sex marriage.

But New South Wales Upper House politician David Clarke agreed with the Cardinal. "You can't just use your religion when you want to," he said.

The Premier's Labor colleague Tony Stewart, sacked from his ministry following allegations of bullying and assault on a female staffer by the then Premier Rees who Keneally sinced knifed for the top job said that he "found those comments from Pell bizarre and straight from the 1950s." Well perhaps Stewart is more an authority on such matters than some...

Given her grubby treatment of Rees, it seems fair to question whether Keneally has a conscience at all. Traditionally, Catholic-Labor links have been so strong that wits described the Church as 'the Labor Party at prayer'. But the detestable Keneally leads a 'not very Labor' government in New South Wales so it should come as no surprise that she and her colleagues at Macquarie Street are 'not very Catholic' Catholics either?

Pic: Brendan Esposito

PELL'S ROME AWAY FROM ROME...

The new Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelisation has its first members including Archbishop of Sydney Cardinal Pell.

Formally established in October, the Council is charged with renewing and strengthening the faith in traditionally Christian countries where religious belief and practice are threatened by secularism and indifference. The 'new evangelisation' has been chosen as the theme for the next world Synod of Bishops, which is expected to meet in 2012.

Nineteen cardinals and bishops have been named, includinge Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York; Archbishop Bernard Longley of Birmingham; Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet (who pipped Pell for the post at the Congregation for Bishops), and US Cardinal William Levada, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

In the same release the Vatican also made public the names of new members and consultants for the Pontifical Council for Health Care Ministry and what do you know... Cardinal Pell is again named!

Is it little wonder that the Sydney Archdiocese has invested so much in their Roman holiday house!

COADJUTOR OR BUST!

Bishop Malone turns 72 this year (not that anyone's counting down...) and as most will recall he requested the appointment of a coadjutor bishop in 2009. As another year clicked over, Malone told the Newcastle Herald he was now "looking towards full retirement in 2011."

 

Malone says he is unable to face another three to four years and had been asked to suggest candidates for his successor. While there's no knowing precisely when the decision will be made public or if the new bishop will come from outside the diocese, it would seem unlikely they might be drawn from the names provided - unless of course the Holy See was satisfied to see the further Anglicanisation of the Diocese of the Big Drain.

 

Its an ill wind, and Malone's 'miasma' could do with a stiff gust from another direction... wouldn't you agree?

Pic: guitarsimo80

BENEDICT RETIRES MANNING TO THE BUSH

With a decree from the Congregation for Bishops dated 30 December 2010, Pope Benedict has appointed Bishop Emeritus of Parramatta, Kevin Manning as the new Apostolic Administrator of Wilcannia Forbes until further provisions (sede vacante et donec aliter provideatur). The past Apostolic Administrator Auxilliary for Sydney, Terry Brady, will return to that See.

Ordained for Bathurst, Manning served as a priest for 15 years in that diocese, before a spell as secretary to the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference for 13 years. He was appointed 8th Bishop of Armidale in 1991.

Projects he might consider during his tenure could include restoring the cathedral in Broken Hill, or perhaps of less drain on the diocesan purse... simply restoring lost clergy like Fr Barry Dwyer who is listed on the Sydney Archdiocese website as one of theirs or even Fr Paul O'Donnell who has to work so hard in certain secular pursuits to fuel his motorcycle and maintain his modest Sydney apartment. St John's College fellows would likely be sad to see him off!

So much for retirement your Lordship!

Pic: Wolter Peeters

WILSON BYPASSED AS SAME-SEX 'RIGHTS' ADVOCATES SEEK APPOINTMENT WITH PELL...

'Gay rights' lobbyists have apparantly written to the Archbishop of Sydney, Cardinal George Pell, requesting an appoinment with the head of the Australian Catholic Church - who we all know is nominally Archbishop Wilson of Adelaide.

It seems there is a "destructive" church campaign against same-sex marriage being waged in Australian Catholic parishes where an open letter to parishioners is informing them about the issues surrounding attempts to redefine the legal status of marriage and encouraging them to lobby there federal MPs against supporting any change.

Australian Marriage Equality acting convener, Peter Furness, argues "The church is free to lobby against equality, but attempting to enlist ordinary Catholics in its campaign will backfire because many support marriage equality."

These are no mere "ordinary Catholics" Mr Furness - rather we are Church!

Furness also believes "Many Catholics will rightly wonder why the Church instructs them to lobby against two people making a lifelong commitment, when poverty, war and the plight of refugees remain such critical local and global issues."

What a fine question Mr Furness... is same-sex marriage really so pressing in contrast to the very issues you identify??

Thankfully, Cardinal Pell who published his response to the fool Furness is having none of it... "The issue of same-sex marriage is not about the rights of non-heterosexual people or about equality. We already have "relationship equality" in Australia, because marriage, homosexual relationships, and unmarried heterosexual relationships are all treated equally before the law."

Pell has denounced Catholic politicians who defy church teachings on controversial issues such as same-sex adoption, rebuking those MPs who "fly under the Christian or Captain Catholic flag" but "blithely disregard Christian perspectives" when they voted in parliament on moral issues.

Such a stand seems worth at least a dip of the biretta, no matter your personal view of Pell!

Pell Pic: The Sunday Mail (Qld)

Wilson Pic: Archdiocese of Adelaide

VALE THE MOST REVEREND JOSEPH GRECH...

“God doesn’t make rubbish. There is good in all ourselves and we have to pull up and find it."

The funeral Mass will be on Thursday 6th January commencing at 1.00pm at the Sacred Heart Cathedral.  The Cathedral will be open at 12.00 Midday.

On Thursday morning prayer of the church will be offered for Bishop Grech at St Kilian’s Church, 181 McCrae Street, Bendigo commencing at 8.00am and concluding at 9.00am.

On Wednesday 5th January the Bishop’s body will arrive at the Sacred Heart Cathedral at 6.30pm.  Prayer will commence at 7.00pm and the Cathedral will close at 9.00pm.

If we cannot be present let us join the Sandhurst community in prayer...

Pic: Bendigo Advertiser July 2008