The world’s most remote island is Bouvet Island, 54/26 South, 3/24 E in ths South Atlantic. Were it possible, our interest in Cardinal O’Brien would be a good bit farther away still , especially about how not nice people have been to him.
Fireworks are used seriously as a form of signal. The exhibition of virtue signalling pyrotechnics produced by the Catholic press made this New Year’s Day display on Sydney Harbour look like a partially defective cigarette lighter. A badly needed note of humour- come on, it must have been humorous- was produced by Archbishop Cushley, his successor, not normally a challenge to P.G.Wodehouse or J.K. Jerome, when he said that the Cardinal in life may have divided opinion. This was either pushing the language of euphemism well beyond any generally accepted level of acceptance. Or he was just having a laugh, something any successor of the Cardinal could probably do with, to be fair.
Unfortunately, however, it suggested that there might be a lay difference of opinion about him . If the Archbishop seriously thinks there is such a division, we wish he would provide a qualitative and quantitative assessment of it :the former would be particularly interesting.
All we’ll say is, that unlike many of the debauched and perverted old clerical buccaneers who will always be associated with him, /all of them ordained to provide the Eucharist, there was no record that we saw of his remembering us in his prayers.
When we think about it in considering the Catholic press at what must be its nadir, we do not remember ever reading the words ’giving scandal’. If you did, let us know where. Want a bet ?
Anyway, it is Easter , and we must remember those who are trapped, and trapped as effectively as innocent and dedicated and sincere people have ever been. We refer, of course, to the Tridentine clergy, who have been put into this position –hopefully we’re only talking really about the Church in Scotland- by a tiny minority. But what a crew ! Just last week, rape was added to the catalogue of paedophiles, alcoholics, fornicators and embezzlers with which the local press has thankfully made us so familiar.
Their leaders have been trapped in turn into embarrassingly pathetic acrobatics in their attempts to prove that nobody has really noticed, and that they have really been left far behind by the Flock, as it seeks the love and respect of Christ, but seeks it now without his Sacraments but without those ordained to provide them.
The song ‘Where Have All The Flowers Gone?, which so plaintively and fitfully briefly reignited the career of Marlene Dietrich, had as its chorus the query ‘Oh, when will they ever learn?’
They are actually still here and during this Holy Week. They will still be conducting Holy Week services. They will still be conducting the services for Holy Thursday in particular. They will still have to reiterate Christ’s words at the Last Supper about the provision of the Eucharist for His Flock, while simultaneously trying not to remember them in their lives and their influence on the Church and why they have made it so difficult for the Flock to live by them.
Mere human prayer seems to us almost insignificant at Easter , as we move annually in commemoration towards an unimaginable future where we are reunited with Christ at what has been called Omega Point. But let us still remember those whose fears, prejudices or pride are keeping many of us from joining Him through the Eucharist.