MISSION STATEMENT ... To celebrate where it's deserved! ... To take the Michael out of institutions and individuals where it's deserved! ...
Recently I had occasion to prepare my gravestone epitaph:
GENE...
Educator, Novelist,
Humanitarian and Humorist
- TO KNOW HIM WAS TO LOVE HIM -
Rest in Peace
....... But while I am still walking the earth do not hesitate to contact me at:
bobbyslingshot8@gmail.com
Medjugorje here we come ... Marianne and I are off to Medjugorje in the morning. A week of pilgrimage is a nice way to end the summer. Will still be posting as Wi-Fi is everywhere in Medjugorje.
Had lunch with Tony (Big saloon) in The Good Yarn today. Crowded as usual... this revamped menu is working out a treat.
Doris Schwarzenegger-Stokes has been banned from Opinion Forum. To tell the truth I'm relieved. Doris had been sailing close to the wind. I'm surprised she lasted so long.
Opinion is a washed out joke these days. I finished with it. How different it was ten years ago. What a forum for teachers! I had some great ding-dong battles with, amongst others, Stedders, Jjbloggs, Elaine C (R.I.P.), Mixu, Lilyofthefield, Middlemarch, ... Those were the days! Then the never to be forgotten Duke of York saga, the days of Big S, Yarooleggoyoubeast, Robert Pennington, In-You-Go-Jones... ah! memories, memories. My finest hour was I think the Assisted Suicide thread where I vanquished all comers. Then of course there was the era of the Clique. How I faced them down and ran them ragged!
The latest addition to London’s cityscape is supposed to be a monument to feminism but the overtly satanic image, built on the site of an old gallow, speaks volumes about the true nature of radical feminism.
Q: What do we mean when we say in the Apostles’ Creed that Jesus descended into hell?
In approaching this question, we must examine the word hell. Usually, when we hear the word hell, we immediately think of the place of eternal damnation for those who have rejected God in this life and have committed mortal sins without repentance.
However, in the Old Testament, hell (or sheol in the Hebrew texts or hades in Greek texts) referred to “the place of the dead.” (Interestingly, our English word hell is derived from a Germanic name for the place of the dead in Tuetonic mythology.) This hell was for both the good and the bad, the just and the unjust. It was the nether world, a region of darkness. In the later writings of the Old Testament, a clear distinction is made between where the good resided in hell versus where the bad were, the two being separated by an impassable abyss. The section for the unjust was named Gehenna, where the souls would suffer eternal torment by fire.
Our Lord attested to this “land of the dead” understanding of hell: Recall the parable of Lazarus, the poor beggar, who sat at the gate of the rich man, traditionally called Dives (cf. Lk 16:19ff). Lazarus dies and is taken to the “land of the dead” (the original Greek text uses the word hades) and is comforted at the bosom of Abraham. Dives also dies and goes to the “land of the dead”; however, he finds eternal torment, being tortured in flames. Dives sees Lazarus and cries out to Abraham for relief. However, Abraham replies, “My child, remember that you were well off in your lifetime, while Lazarus was in misery. Now he has found consolation here, but you have found torment. And that is not all. Between you and us there is fixed a great abyss, so that those who might wish to cross from here to you cannot do so, nor can anyone cross from your side to us.”
Our Lord also emphasized the “eternal punishment” of hell: When Jesus spoke of the coming last judgment and the separating of the righteous from the evil, he will say to the latter, “Out of my sight you condemned, into that everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (cf. Mt 25:31ff). Jesus also spoke of “risking the fires of Gehenna” for serious sins, like anger and hatred (Mt 5:21ff), and adultery and impurity (Mt 5:27ff).
Given this understanding, we believe that the sin of Adam and Eve had closed the Gates of Heaven. The holy souls awaited the Redeemer in the land of the dead, or hell. Our Lord offered the perfect sacrifice for all sin by dying on the cross, the redemptive act that touches all people of every time — past, present and future. He was then buried. During that time, He descended among the dead: His soul, separated from His body, joined the holy souls awaiting the Savior in the Land of the Dead. Remember St. Paul wrote, “‘He ascended’ — what does this mean but that He had first descended into the lower regions of the earth? He who descended is the very one who ascended high above the heavens, that He might fill all men with His gifts” (Eph 4:9-10). His descent among the dead brought to completion the proclamation of the Gospel and liberated those holy souls who had long awaited their Redeemer. The Gates of Heaven were now open, and these holy souls entered everlasting happiness enjoying the beatific vision. Please note Jesus did not deliver those souls damned to eternal punishment in hell nor did He destroy hell as such; they remained in that state and place of damnation begun at the time of their particular judgment.
The Catechism highlights the importance of this event: “This is the last phase of Jesus’ messianic mission, a phase which is condensed in time but vast in its real significance: the spread of Christ’s redemptive work to all men of all times and all places, for all who are saved have been made sharers in the redemption” (No. 634).
An “Ancient Homily” of the early Church for Holy Saturday captured this event: “The whole earth keeps silence because the King is asleep. The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and He has raised up all who have slept ever since the world began…. He has gone to search for our first parent, as for a lost sheep. Greatly desiring to visit those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, He has gone to free from sorrow the captives of Adam and Eve, He who is both God and the Son of Eve…. ‘I am your God, who for your sake have become your Son…. I order you, O sleeper, to awake. I did not create you to be held a prisoner in hell. Rise from the dead, for I am the life of the dead.”
Knock's holy shrine as popular as ever as 150,000 believers flock to site in past week for annual Novena
An apparition of the Virgin Mary on August 21, 1879, made the West of Ireland site as renowned as Lourdes, Medjugorje and Fatima
Proud Martin and Kathleen Heanue and some of the many visitors at Knock this week
More than 150,000 people have flocked to Knock in the past week to soak up the site’s religious atmosphere.
Over a dozen shops selling figurines and religious trinkets surround the world-famous Co Mayo village where the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared more than 100 years ago.
Many visitors to the sacred Marian Shrine have the items blessed or filled with holy water so they can take a piece of it home with them.
The small village is also dotted with several B&Bs, camping sites, pubs and a pharmacy that opens 365 days of the year.
An apparition of the Virgin Mary on August 21, 1879, made the West of Ireland site as renowned as Lourdes and Fatima.
Fifteen people, including children, witnessed a vision of Our Lady, St Joseph, St John the Evangelist, a lamb and cross on an altar at the gable wall of the parish church.
The group watched the phenomenal sight for two hours in the lashing rain but not a drop fell on the apparition.
Paul Mealey
Irish Mirror reporter Blanaid Murphy at Knock
The witnesses’ handwritten statements, which were recognised by the Commission of Inquiry as being trustworthy, are locked away in the archives.
Since then, the small village attracts 1.5 million pilgrims each year in search of a miracle or just peace of mind.
In the past week alone, around 150,000 believers flocked to the holy grounds for the annual nine-day Novena which concludes tomorrow.
Kathleen Heanue, 66, flew in from New York to watch her 27-year-old son say Mass in the apparition church as a newly-ordained priest.
Kathleen, who is from Navan, Co Meath, said: “It was just wonderful. I’m very, very proud.
“He’s my youngest out of four.”
The devout Catholic added she also came to Knock to pray for the soul of her mother who died in 2011.
Struggling to hold back the tears, she admitted: “Now that my mother is gone... being here I feel she is here with us.”
Margaret Conboy, 61, grew up in Knock village and runs St Anthony’s gift shop.
She was in the crowd for Pope John Paul II’s historic visit in 1979.
She recalled: “It was an amazing, wonderful time. People still love it.
“They came with their own parents and now they are coming themselves.
“Even the rain doesn’t stop the crowds.”
Paul Mealey
Pilgrims come from all over the world to visit Knock
The holy shrine is known for attracting thousands of sick people and their families in the hopes of finding a cure to illnesses.
Margaret added: “One woman told me about bad pains in her back that went after she visited the Shrine.
"It’s amazing all the people who have gotten a lot of healing from here.” Sarah O’Neill, 28, told how she made the trip from Dublin to Knock with her sister to pray for her aunt who is battling stage-three breast cancer.
She said: “I’m not very religious but I’m hoping lighting a candle and saying a little prayer will do something to help my aunt.
“Her illness has not only taken a toll on her but on the whole family.”
Several miracles have been documented here and sent to the Vatican for verification.
A woman suffering with multiple sclerosis for years claims she was miraculously cured of the illness after visiting the holy shrine in 1989.
Marion Carroll, 55, from Athlone recalled: “I was able to stand up and I even drank a cup of tea unaided.
“There was no stiffness and no pain, it was like experiencing every bit of happiness you have ever dreamed.”
In the softly-lit prayer room, soothing music plays as pilgrims silently pray in front of a crucifix and altar.
Across the grounds, daily Masses and blessings take place in the newly- renovated basilica which can hold 10,000 people. A museum, cafe and small shuttle buses are also on the grounds to transport elderly or disabled visitors around the complex.
Married couple David and Thelma Lappin from Toronto, Canada, flew to Ireland for the Novena and a holiday.
David, 74, who is originally from Bangor, Co Down, but has lived away for 42 years, said: “I was here for the first time with my mother when I was 10 years old. It used to be open fields and now it’s been transformed.” It is his wife Thelma’s first time to Knock.
The 62-year-old said: “I love it. I’m a really religious person and I just feel peace here. We’ve been to quite a few churches.”
Rose Xavier, 39, originally from India, added she comes here with her three children and husband once a month from their home in nearby Westport.
Paul Mealey
Pilgrims come from all over the world to visit Knock, the Axiver family from India
She explained: “I want the kids to come often and sit in the chapel for a few minutes.” Knock spokesman Fr Richard Gibbons said: “The numbers have been wonderful. It’s a wide mixture and varied attendance from people near and far.”
He explained Knock is undergoing a renewal in a bid to attract more younger people to the shrine.
Fr Richard Gibbons said: “What we’re trying to do in terms of our Witness to Hope project is the renewal of the Shrine to meet the needs of the modern pilgrim.”
500 Years of Protestantism: The 38 Most Ridiculous Things Martin Luther Ever Wrote
As we approach the five hundred year anniversary of the Protestant reformulation on October 31, 2017, it is good to look back examine how that all worked out for them. For, how are we to judge the fruit of tree over the last 500 years unless we first examine its seed? Therefore, let us start from the beginning and blink our eyes at the 33 Most Ridiculous things that Martin Luther, the illustrious Father of Protestantism and the Bible-Only (sola-scriptura) movement, said.
As we approach the five hundred year anniversary of the Protestant reformulation on October 31, 2017, it is good for us to look back and examine how that all worked out for them. For, how are we to judge the fruit of tree over the last 500 years unless we first examine the roots of that tree? Therefore, let us start from the beginning and blink our eyes at the 38 Most Ridiculous things that Martin Luther, the illustrious Father of Protestantism and the Bible-Only (sola-scriptura) movement, said. It is still hard to believe how we allowed and still allow this very plain instrument of Satan to divide God’s people . . . . .
Martin Luther on the Dignity and Majesty of God
“I look upon God no better than a scoundrel” (ref. Weimar, Vol. 1, Pg. 487. Cf. Table Talk, No. 963).
“Christ committed adultery first of all with the women at the well about whom St. John tell’s us. Was not everybody about Him saying: ‘Whatever has He been doing with her?’ Secondly, with Mary Magdalen, and thirdly with the women taken in adultery whom He dismissed so lightly. Thus even, Christ who was so righteous, must have been guilty of fornication before He died.” (ref. Trishreden, Weimer Edition, Vol. 2, Pg. 107. – What a great blasphemy from a man who is regarded as “great reformer”!).
“I have greater confidence in my wife and my pupils than I have in Christ” (ref. Table Talk, 2397b).
“It does not matter how Christ behaved – what He taught is all that matters” (ref. Erlangen Vol. 29, Pg. 126).
Martin Luther on the 10 Commandments
“[The commandments] only purpose is to show man his impotence to do good and to teach him to despair of himself” (ref: Denifle’s Luther et Lutheranisme, Etude Faite d’apres les sources. Translation by J. Paquier (Paris, A. Picard, 1912-13), Volume III, p. 364).
“We must remove the Decalogue out of sight and heart” (ref. De Wette 4, 188)
“If we allow them – the Commandments – any influence in our conscience, they become the cloak of all evil, heresies and blasphemies” (ref. Comm. ad Galat, p.310).
“It is more important to guard against good works than against sin.” (ref. Trischreden, Wittenberg Edition, Vol. VI., p. 160).
Martin Luther on the Material Necessity of Good Works
“Good works are bad and are sin like the rest.” (ref. Denifle’s Luther et Lutheranisme, Etude Faite d’apres les sources. Translation by J. Paquier (Paris, A. Picard, 1912-13), VOl. III, pg. 47).
“There is no scandal greater, more dangerous, more venomous, than a good outward life, manifested by good works and a pious mode of life. That is the grand portal, the highway that leads to damnation.” (ref. Denifle’s Luther et Lutheranisme, Etude Faite d’apres les sources. Translation by J. Paquier (Paris, A. Picard, 1912-13), VOl. II, pg. 128).
Martin Luther on the Importance of Free-Will
“…with regard to God, and in all that bears on salvation or damnation, (man) has no ‘free-will’, but is a captive, prisoner and bond slave, either to the will of God, or to the will of Satan.” (ref. From the essay, ‘Bondage of the Will,’ ‘Martin Luther: Selections From His Writings, ed. by Dillenberger, Anchor Books, 1962 p. 190).
“Man is like a horse. Does God leap into the saddle? The horse is obedient and accommodates itself to every movement of the rider and goes whither he wills it. Does God throw down the reins? Then Satan leaps upon the back of the animal, which bends, goes and submits to the spurs and caprices of its new rider… Therefore, necessity, not free will, is the controlling principle of our conduct. God is the author of what is evil as well as of what is good, and, as He bestows happiness on those who merit it not, so also does He damn others who deserve not their fate.” (ref. ‘De Servo Arbitrio’, 7, 113 seq., quoted by O’Hare, in ‘The Facts About Luther, TAN Books, 1987, pp. 266-267).
“His (Judas) will was the work of God; God by His almighty power moved his will as He does all that is in this world.” (ref. De servo Arbitrio, against man’s free will).
“No good work happens as the result of one’s own wisdom; but everything must happen in a stupor . . . Reason must be left behind for it is the enemy of faith.” (ref. Trischreden, Weimer VI, 143, 25-35).
Martin Luther on Christian Living
“Be a sinner, and let your sins be strong, but let your trust in Christ be stronger, and rejoice in Christ who is the victor over sin, death, and the world. We will commit sins while we are here, for this life is not a place where justice resides… No sin can separate us from Him, even if we were to kill or commit adultery thousands of times each day.” (ref. ‘Let Your Sins Be Strong, from ‘The Wittenberg Project;’ ‘The Wartburg Segment’, translated by Erika Flores, from Dr. Martin Luther’s Saemmtliche Schriften, Letter No. 99, 1 Aug. 1521. – Cf. Also Denifle’s Luther et Lutheranisme, Etude Faite d’apres les sources. Translation by J. Paquier (Paris, A. Picard, 1912-13), VOl. II, pg. 404))
“Do not ask anything of your conscience; and if it speaks, do not listen to it; if it insists, stifle it, amuse yourself; if necessary, commit some good big sin, in order to drive it away. Conscience is the voice of Satan, and it is necessary always to do just the contrary of what Satan wishes.” (ref. J. Dollinger, La Reforme et les resultants qu’elle a produits. (Trans. E. Perrot, Paris, Gaume, 1848-49), Vol III, pg. 248).
Martin Luther on Capital Punishment and Charity
“If some were to teach doctrines contradicting an article of faith clearly grounded in Scripture and believed throughout the world by all Christendom, such as the articles we teach children in the Creed — for example, if anyone were to teach that Christ is not God, but a mere man and like other prophets, as the Turks and the Anabaptists hold — such teachers shuold not be tolerated, but punished as blasphemers . . . By this procedure no one is compelled to believe, for he can still believe what he will; but he is forbidden to teach and to blaspheme.” (ref. Luther’s Works [LW], Vol. 13, 61-62)
“That seditious articles of doctrine should be punished by the sword needed no further proof. For the rest, the Anabaptists hold tenets relating to infant baptism, original sin, and inspiration, which have no connection with the Word of God, and are indeed opposed to it . . . Secular authorities are also bound to restrain and punish avowedly false doctrine . . . For think what disaster would ensue if children were not baptized? . . . Besides this the Anabaptists separate themselves from the churches . . . and they set up a ministry and congregation of their own, which is also contrary to the command of God. From all this it becomes clear that the secular authorities are bound . . . to inflict corporal punishment on the offenders . . . Also when it is a case of only upholding some spiritual tenet, such as infant baptism, original sin, and unnecessary separation, then . . . we conclude that . . . the stubborn sectaries must be put to death.” (ref. pamphlet of 1536; in Johannes Janssen, History of the German People From the Close of the Middle Ages, 16 volumes, translated by A.M. Christie, St. Louis: B. Herder, 1910 [orig. 1891]; Vol. X, 222-223)
Martin Luther on Social Justice
“Peasants are no better than straw. They will not hear the word and they are without sense; therefore they must be compelled to hear the crack of the whip and the whiz of bullets and it is only what they deserve.” (ref. Erlangen Vol 24, Pg. 294).
“To kill a peasant is not murder; it is helping to extinguish the conflagration. Let there be no half measures! Crush them! Cut their throats! Transfix them. Leave no stone unturned! To kill a peasant is to destroy a mad dog!” – “If they say that I am very hard and merciless, mercy be damned. Let whoever can stab, strangle, and kill them like mad dogs” (ref. Erlangen Vol 24, Pg. 294).
“Like the drivers of donkeys, who have to belabor the donkeys incessantly with rods and whips, or they will not obey, so must the ruler do with the people; they must drive, beat throttle, hang, burn, behead and torture, so as to make themselves feared and to keep the people in check.” (ref. Erlangen Vol 15, Pg. 276).
Adolf Hitler Martin Luther on the Love of Jews
“My advice, as I said earlier, is: First, that their synagogues be burned down, and that all who are able toss sulphur and pitch; it would be good if someone could also throw in some hellfire… Second, that all their books– their prayer books, their Talmudic writings, also the entire Bible– be taken from them, not leaving them one leaf, and that these be preserved for those who may be converted…Third, that they be forbidden on pain of death to praise God, to give thanks, to pray, and to teach publicly among us and in our country…Fourth, that they be forbidden to utter the name of God within our hearing. For we cannot with a good conscience listen to this or tolerate it… He who hears this name [God] from a Jew must inform the authorities, or else throw sow dung at him when he sees him and chase him away”. (ref. Martin Luther; On the Jews and Their Lies, translated by Martin H. Bertram, Fortress Press, 1955).
“Burn their synagogues. Forbid them all that I have mentioned above. Force them to work and treat them with every kind of severity, as Moses did in the desert and slew three thousand… If that is no use, we must drive them away like mad dogs, in order that we may not be partakers of their abominable blasphemy and of all their vices, and in order that we may not deserve the anger of God and be damned with them. I have done my duty. Let everyone see how he does his. I am excused.” (ref. About the Jews and Their Lies,’ quoted by O’Hare, in ‘The Facts About Luther, TAN Books, 1987, p. 290).
“If I had to baptize a Jew, I would take him to the bridge of the Elbe, hang a stone round his neck and push him over with the words I baptize thee in the name of Abraham” (ref. Grisar, “Luther”, Vol. V. pg. 413).
“The Jews deserve to be hanged on gallows seven times higher than ordinary thieves.” (ref. Weimar, Vol. 53, Pg. 502).
Martin Luther on the Sanctity and Dignity of Marriage
“If the husband is unwilling, there is another who is; if the wife is unwilling, then let the maid come.” (ref. Of Married Life).
“Suppose I should counsel the wife of an impotent man, with his consent, to giver herself to another, say her husband’s brother, but to keep this marriage secret and to ascribe the children to the so-called putative father. The question is: Is such a women in a saved state? I answer, certainly.” (ref. On Marriage).
“It is not in opposition to the Holy Scriptures for a man to have several wives.” (ref. De Wette, Vol. 2, p. 459).
“The word and work of God is quite clear, viz., that women are made to be either wives or prostitutes.” (ref. On Married Life).
“In spite of all the good I say of married life, I will not grant so much to nature as to admit that there is no sin in it. .. no conjugal due is ever rendered without sin. The matrimonial duty is never performed without sin.” (ref. Weimar, Vol 8. Pg. 654. In other words for Luther the matrimonial act is “a sin differing in nothing from adultery and fornication.” ibid. What then is the purpose of marriage for Luther you may ask? Luther affirms that it’s simply to satisfy one’s sexual cravings “The body asks for a women and must have it” or again “To marry is a remedy for fornication” – Grisar, “Luther”, vol. iv, pg. 145).
Martin Luther on the Quality of Edifying Speech
“What harm could it do if a man told a good lusty lie in a worthy cause and for the sake of the Christian Churches?” (ref. Lenz: Briefwechsel, Vol. 1. Pg. 373).
“To lie in a case of necessity or for convenience or in excuse – such lying would not be against God; He was ready to take such lies on Himself” (ref. Lenz: Briefwechsel, Vol. 1. Pg. 375).
Martin Luther on Humility
“St. Augustine or St. Ambrosius cannot be compared with me.” (ref. Erlangen, Vol. 61, pg. 422).
“What I teach and write remains true even though the whole world should fall to pieces over it” (ref. Weimar, Vol. 18, Pg. 401).
Martin Luther on the value of Sacred Scripture
“To my mind it (the book of the Apocalypse) bears upon it no marks of an apostolic or prophetic character… Everyone may form his own judgment of this book; as for myself, I feel an aversion to it, and to me this is sufficient reason for rejecting it.” (ref. ammtliche Werke, 63, pp. 169-170, ‘The Facts About Luther,’ O’Hare, TAN Books, 1987, p. 203).
“If your Papist annoys you with the word (‘alone’ – Rom. 3:28), tell him straightway, Dr. Martin Luther will have it so: Papist and ass are one and the same thing. Whoever will not have my translation, let him give it the go-by: the devil’s thanks to him who censures it without my will and knowledge. Luther will have it so, and he is a doctor above all the doctors in Popedom.” (ref. Amic. Discussion, 1, 127,’The Facts About Luther,’ O’Hare, TAN Books, 1987, p. 201. Cf. Also J. Dollinger, La Reforme et les resultants qu’elle a produits. (Trans. E. Perrot, Paris, Gaume, 1848-49), Vol III, pg. 138).
“The history of Jonah is so monstrous that it is absolutely incredible.” (ref. The Facts About Luther, O’Hare, TAN Books, 1987, p. 202).
“…the epistle of St. James is an epistle full of straw, because it contains nothing evangelical.” (ref. ‘Preface to the New Testament,’ ed. Dillenberger, p. 19. – Cf. Also Jean Janssen, L’Allemagne et la Reforme. (Trans. E. Paris, Plon, 1887-1911). Vol II, Pg. 218).
Even though you can find all of these quotes online, this compilation, ever since its publication, has received a lot of attention from our brothers and sisters in the protesting community. I have read all of the comments to the blogs and messages boards that are linked to this article, and here are some of their conclusions. (1) The book Table Talk is not a reliable reference for Martin Luther’s work (ONLY TWO quotes above come from Table Talk). (2) There is a problem with the translation of some of the quotes, because some are from German or Latin to French to English, rather than from German or Latin to English. (4) Luther’s violent comments against the peasants are to be contextualized in light of the Peasant Revolt of which he sided with the German Princes. (5) Luther’s violent comments against the Jews are to be contextualized in light of his disappointed that they didn’t receive his reformulation of the Gospel. (6) Luther’s comments against Scripture are true. (7) Luther’s comments against monogamous marriage are true (probably). (8) Luther’s violent comments against the Anabaptists are true, (9) Luther’s comments against the Catholic understanding of Freewill are true, and (10) The only writings of Luther that conservative Lutheran pastors are required to subscribe to (because they strictly reflect biblical doctrine) are the Small Catechism, the Large Catechism and the Smalkald Articles.
In regards to one of the sources of this compilation, (Luther, Exposing the Myth), Reformed protester and Martin Luther Apologist James Swan of William Paterson University, has written a detailed critique of. In crafting this compilation I considered Swan’s response, and I ended up not including many of the quotes that he had a good case against. In some cases Swan was spot on, but in other cases he would have been much better off not trying to contextualize or excuse Luther. In those cases, Swan’s intellectually honesty is betrayed by his passion for Luther.
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I am a Lutheran Pastor... First, "Table Talk" is NOT what "Luther wrote." "Table Talk" (AE vol. 50) are nuggets of what someone else wrote that "Luther said" while in conversation at meal-time. It is quite clear in the volume who the recorder is. Not to mention that I'd hate to think what I have said at any random meal-time, especially while alcohol is being consumed. Among Luther scholars, "Table Talk" is of almost no practical value except for those "eye raising nuggets." Second, when it comes to the Law, one MUST understand the whole of Luther's theological system. The reason Luther speaks negatively about the Ten Commandments is because he understood the Law to work in three ways for the believer: (1) The Law is a disciplinarian, ordering our lives, (2) The Law works to disabuse the believer from any trust in their own goodness so that they flee to the mercy of Christ (all have fallen short of the glory of God...), and (3) The Law...only after 1 and 2...can teach us how God wants us to live. So Luther does say things like "The Decalogue needs to be removed..." ONLY IN THE CONTEXT OF THE SECOND USE OF THE LAW, by which we are so aware of our sin that we despair of our own goodness. Third, is Christ truly served by looking for the serious missteps of other believers? Should I go looking for ever scandalous thing a Pope has ever said or done? Luther says, of the 8th Commandment, that "We are to fear and love God so that we neither slander nor betray our neighbor, but instead we are to SPEAK WELL OF THEM, RISE TO THEIR DEFENSE, AND INTERPRET EVERYTHING THEY DO IN THE BEST POSSIBLE LIGHT." (Small Catechism) So it is that we best serve the Commandments by rising to the defense of our neighbors and no looking for scandal. If you look for scandal, you doubtless will find it.
In this picture taken on Wednesday, Pope Francis holds a placard reading 'It's time for dialogue between Argentina and the United Kingdom for Falklands' (L'Osservatore Romano/Pool Photo via AP)
It is not know whether the pope deliberately picked up the sign
Pope Francis has been drawn into the controversy over the Falkland Islands after being photographed holding an Argentine sign calling for dialogue on the islands’ future.
The islands, which were invaded by Argentina in 1982, a the cost of 649 Argentine and 255 British lives, have been British since 1833 but are claimed by Argentina, despite the 2,000 strong population overwhelmingly opposing Argentine rule.
The photo, taken at his weekly general audience in the Vatican this week, has appeared in South American media and was tweeted by Argentinian President Cristina Kirchner.
It is not known whether Pope Francis deliberately picked up the sign, reading in Spanish: “It’s time for dialogue between Argentina and the United Kingdom on the Falklands”.
In 2013 President Kirchner asked her compatriots Francis to intervene to start a dialogue between the countries.
Pair the Rolling Stones’ producer Andrew Loog Oldham with American rock-and-roll hero Del Shannon at the height of Swinging London, and what’s the result? It was an album called Home and Away, but despite its lofty ambitions of being a British answer to Pet Sounds, the LP didn’t see release as scheduled in 1967. It took more than a decade for Home and Away to surface, and it’s recently been reissued as a remastered CD from Now Sounds (CRNOW 40). Though the new Home and Away is a most welcome release, the oft-quoted Pet Sounds analogy isn’t quite appropriate. Though Home and Away and the Beach Boys’ classic are both orchestrated pop albums, Pet Sounds was an intensely personal vision both musically and lyrically – that of Brian Wilson and his chief lyrical collaborator, Tony Asher. Home and Away was the work of numerous pop songwriting teams from Oldham’s Immediate Records stable. Not that there’s anything shameful about an immaculately crafted collection of largely original pop songs, which is what Home and Away is; the high quality of these tracks, sung passionately by Shannon and arranged pristinely by Arthur Greenslade, will make you wah-wah-wah-wah-wonder why the album was initially shelved in the first place. After the decision was made by Liberty Records to leave the LP in the can, tracks began to trickle out on singles and elsewhere, and Home and Away has been released numerous times prior to Now Sounds’ edition. The complete sequence first surfaced on a 1978 compilation album, and reappeared in the CD era on anthologies including EMI’s The Liberty Years, before getting a proper album release in 2006 from the reactivated Zonophone imprint. Now Sounds’ edition, though remastered and splendidly redesigned by reissue producer Steve Stanley, repeats the 16-track sequence of that Zonophone disc. Love is in the air, but this isn’t a romantic album by any means. Del Shannon crafted some of the most striking pop records of the early 1960s with grief and heartbreak foremost on his mind, and the tone of Home and Away is indeed, melancholy. Though darkness took him to artistic heights, it eventually consumed him, and Shannon took his own life in 1990. Here, the moody atmosphere is often quite beautiful, with harpsichord, French horns and flutes among the baroque accoutrements. No, the material isn’t as strong as Pet Sounds, but isn’t that an unfair comparison for almost any album? We dive in, after the jump! Plus: the full track listing with discography, and an order link! “You’re all I had in life, but now we’re through,” Shannon cries in “Mind Over Matter,” one of the songs salvaged for a single release. Though the vocalist invokes the title phrase to get over his girl in this mini-masterwork, one gets the feeling it was a losing battle. Over dramatic, haunting strings and horns, Shannon desperately pleads “Give me strength that I need to carry on” into the fade. He’s all too believable on this somber gem penned by J.P. Solomons, but it should come as no surprise that the strongest material on the album is Shannon’s own. His familiar timbre takes on a newfound, ethereal quality on the ravishing “Silently.” Its evocative, poetic imagery (“Sitting here, without a chair, wondering where can you be? Butterfly floating by, quietly, fluttering its wings…Silently…just like me…”) shifts into the terrain of memory, with Greenslade’s subtle arrangement and the background harmonies hauntingly quoting a childhood melody. It’s heavy stuff, not to mention quite beautiful. (It’s all too easy what this song would have sounded like in the hands of The Association!) “He Cheated” is Shannon’s other original composition here, and it’s not much lighter: “How many times are you gonna be burned?” What’s perhaps most impressive here is that Shannon is never self-conscious about his musical experimentation on Home and Away. Then again, it’s no surprise, as the artist had already introduced unusual sounds into his records such as the Musitron on 1961’s“Runaway.” That seminal record is revisited in a new fashion on Home and Away, and though the remake may have its adherents, it doesn’t erase the memory of the original. Shannon and Oldham recast the song with Spanish-style guitar, a more dirge-like tempo and the usual, prominent array of strings and horns. The hazy, lysergic quality better suits Billy Nicholls’ dark “Cut and Come Again” (as in “love has…”), and a similar theme of love lost permeates Ross Watson’s “My Love Has Gone,” on which Shannon deploys his pained falsetto in a baroque setting. There are also diverse musical nods here. On Billy Nicholls’ “Led Along”, that falsetto soars mightily over some “bom bom dit dit” vocalizing that would have made Brian Wilson and Mike Love proud. And the bleakness of Andrew Rose and David Skinner’s “Life is But Nothing” is tempered by a horn part that seems grafted on from “Wishin’ and Hopin’,” of all things! Another stated influence was that of Lou Adler, producer of The Mamas and the Papas and later, a series of Carole King albums including the landmark Tapestry. The big beat of “Easy to Say, Easy to Do” is melded to harmonies that almost go into exuberant John Phillips territory. Del Shannon took one step further and met psychedelia head-on with 1968’s The Further Adventures of Charles Westover (his real name). But that justly-acclaimed album seems very much in thrall to the sounds he first explored on the shelved Home and Away. Of the mono bonus singles retained for Now’s handsome new edition (otherwise all in stereo), the odd U.S. single version of “He Cheated” adds spoken-word call-and-response, while “Runaway ‘67” is overdubbed with applause for a live feel. The singles are appropriately punchy for the AM airwaves, though none gained significant chart success. Alas, no discographical annotation has been included for these singles from the U.S., the U.K. and the Philippines. Alan Brownstein has remastered all tracks from the original master tapes, and they sound better than ever before. Kieron Tyler supplies a new essay adapted from his notes for the Zonophone CD release, and Steve Stanley has impeccably designed the entire package including the vastly-improved, spot-on period cover. These upgrades might be enough to seal the deal on a purchase for those who already own Home and Away in one of its previous CD issues. Now or then, Home and Away captures an artist finding his place in a rapidly-changing musical landscape and doing so with grace and beauty. One could hardly ask for more. Del Shannon, Home and Away (EMI/Zonophone 0946 374853 2, 2006 – reissued Now Sounds CRNOW 40, 2012)
It’s My Feeling
Mind Over Matter
Silently
Cut and Come Again
My Love Has Gone
Led Along
Life is But Nothing
Easy to Say, Easy to Do
Friendly With You
He Cheated
Runaway ‘67
Led Along (Mono US Liberty 55961 & UK Liberty LIB 0277, 1967)
Mind Over Matter (Mono UK Liberty LIB 0277, 1967)
Runaway ’67 (Mono US Liberty 55993 & UK Liberty LIB 5020, 1967)
Granny Barkes fell in Woolworths ... she'll get a free ride in the ambulance. Ha! Ha! Ha! The just man falls seven times. Look! See the tracks of Santa's feet on the hearth. I'll break your ould desk. Say what may the tidings be, on this glorious Christmas morn? He's lost his apple cake. Look! Look what Mairead has made! That would bury Dick and Diamond. Indeed he went all the way to the whiney nough. I'm getting a wheelbarrow tomorrow: it's brand new ... I can't sleep with excitement. This is a day above all days. No.... we are off to school, c'mon Eddie. I heard a roar between two hills. L to the water Jimmy Harte. I wish that day would come back again. And flying my kite. What happened to your lorry Jim? Lay on MacDuff. Edward's day out. He cut down a tree from the hedge of the car road with a hatchet - yes, but it's his birthday. I don't know ... maybe so. I think they did. Look at the size of the flakes! Look at the size of the flakes! There's a stepmother's breath in the air. He stole matches. Oh! I love to play when the decorations are up. The Irvines of the wheel ... the wild men from Borneo. Time waits for no man ... not even John Roy. Jeremiah, blow the fire; puff, puff, puff. Blue ink, black ink, and good red ink. See that sycamore tree? By the end of November there won't be a single leaf left on it. Secundam scripturas. Has he no ears? Hey! Don't touch that coal scuttle ... that belongs to Stanton Bailey. That's the biggest laugh I've had since I put salt in the sugar bowl last week. I'll get ye Tony. James Hugh Monaghan from Dernee ... a warrior I do beliee. Hurling by bum, hurling by bum. You are very unsatisfactory. I was reading The Messenger. Drinking buttermilk all the week ... whiskey on a Sunday. Back to back, belly to belly... don't give a damn about Yarnarelli. Come day, go day ... God send Sunday. The chocolate tree, the sweet tree. The waters wild went o'er his child and he was left lamenting. 'Ma mither is a queen', said he. This new wheel of fortune has just come from France. John Johnston's horses are in your corn. Night's for rest ... night's for rest. There's a yellow rose in Texas. "Hot diggity, dog ziggity, boom...What you do to me, When you're holding me tight." A field in Larne. Would it be physical? A stew boiled is a stew spoiled. The Minster-clock has just struck two, and yonder is the Moon. Boys obtuse. And the hunter home from the hills.Wait 'til I get another stone for you Cyril. McAree, McAra, Mc Avarn K-Kunny, put in your white foot 'til I see if you're my mummy. Bara lynsey, bara lynsey. Patch upon patch sown without stitches; come riddle me this and I'll give you my britches. "Hold on ... my door was hit too." Joe Worthington, Joe Worthington you'd sit till you'd rot. Come to the water fit a thank ye, fit a thank ye, fit a thank ye. I washed my hands in water; water never run ... and I dried them in a towel that was neither wove nor spun. Here comes I Wee Devil Doubt... the pain within, the pain without. Peeping round the door in the khaki there to see the old pair once again. When I was a lad so was me Dad. Ta Ra Ra Bam... Ta Ra Ra Ching ... Ta Ra Ra Bam ... Ta Ra Ra. 'Twas on a Sunday evening that Barlow's it was robbed: Mrs Barlow went down to the room to get a treacle scone, but when she saw the moneybox, the money it was gone. Genitori, Genitoque Laus et jubilatio, He relies too much on his effing muscles. The Protestant boys are loyal and true: they are in me eye says Donal Abu. What's the 'with thee' for? What's the 'with thee' for? On a brick-coloured ticket ... that's brick Pat ... all in! Water! Water! ... er ... Tea! Tea!... with two lumps of sugar and a spot of milk. I wonder, yes I wonder, will the angels way up yonder, will the angels play their harps for me? Whistle and I will come to you me lad. Get that Teddy Boy haircut out of my sight! The one with the black bucket is the best. The shadow of the Valois is yawning at the Mass. Sandy Row on an Easter Monday ... every day's like an Easter Sunday. Willie Ruckie. Milled today, fed tomorrow. It's long and it's narrow, it's not very wide, it wears a green selvage on every side. Tilly Versailles. Yes and truly you are best. No more tomorrows in your career. Dr Whitehead. Piss, Piss Iceland dog! Tickets are sixpence each and I hope you all win. Andera Keck K-Keck K-Keck K-Keck. We sell only the best E..E..English C..C..Coca Cola. Aye but, naw but, could you cut turf? Hollyhocks! Hollyhocks! over Bobby Lyttle's garden wall. "You took the coat hanger to it." The seas obey, the fetters break and lifeless limbs thou dost restore. You could easily stand on Kelly's hills and count his skinny ribs. Barefooted thatcher ... Pa Bunty. Have you got a wagon to put these wheels on? Lauda Jerusalem Dominum, Lauda Deum tuum Sion. Man attacked and thoroughly beaten ... attackers make off in a posh car. Swiftly, silently and unseen. You see Missus D; there's the cow and there's the gate. C'mon... let's get home for the beef and spuds. Ecce Panis Angelorum. Dee daw Marjorie Raw. You're idle for stelk. Saucepan gossiper. Corduroy for every boy, cordurat for every cat. We're the boys that fears no noise, we are the bold Drumarda boys. On Saturday night we all got tight and Cassidy brought us over. Silver Saturday, jink night. Listening to the footsteps of the boys from Tedd. Dick Nan's: just the spot for a picnic. Listen to me George: "Would you like white stones on your grave?" The bespectacled roadman. Chick a boom ... chick a rack ... chick a boom ... chick a rack ... and the yellow skirt goes swinging. Mr. Marley hasbeen dead these seven years, Scrooge replied. He died seven years ago, this very night. Too strong Grandad, too strong. Go on Balfour! Santa Agatha, ora pro nobis. "Pope Pius XII died during the night." The Ypres Salient at Night. Histracy. Wherefore have you left your sheep on that stony mountain steep? Hi for a toffer and hi for it still; and hi for the wee lad lies over the hill. The river eddy whirls. BeatiMichaeli archangelo. Put a table in the hall and it will do fine. And he fully did. Jimmy Hicks is not in hell. Rushe came down last night. I know my nick name. Uncle Merry. For aye for guide: very good neighbours, but keep your back to us. Apostrophe at the Post Office today. Let the reindeers go. Let them go! Good morrow Mick. No-one will read your papers. Oh! Hugh is staunch. Jack's in Diviney. Smithers. You're only making a faddle (fardel) of yourself. The image of a girl. Deeper than the wishing well. Ballina, Balnabroka, Anahinahola, don't show the white feather wherever you go. Carolina moon. What a beautiful day! What must heaven be like? Do you know our d'Brian? You're nice Miss Rice. I see said the blind man. The fish in the pond are seeing red as Bobby is fishing with Coates strong thread. And those who come from distance far are always late for tea. Oh! to be in Doonaree. All day all night Marianne; down by the seaside sifting sand. Look at the way he's twisting that stick. He won't know himself in this lovely place. You've given me a taste of fame. There was a wild colonial boy Jack Saltey was his name. Geoff Duke. The people they call me Calypso Joe. Oh! my diploma. I win a pound. The ancient ring post snapped like a matchstick. I think, I think, that she's the mostest of the lot, and furthermore she is the only chick I got. Nicolette ... I can pick 'em! Raddle diddle da ha ha. They all wore black coats and black top hats and they turned and went up to your room. Deep, deep river... away, away. Early morning light ... Rat ta-tat ta-tat ta-tat. Rat ta-tat ta-tat ta-tat.
Knock visionary should be reburied in US, says US cardinal
Sarah MacDonald
Published 15/08/2015 | 02:30
Cardinal Timothy Dolan hugs Joan O’Connell, now living in New York but originally from Knock, on the opening day of the annual novena
The youngest visionary to witness the apparition in Knock in 1879 may be reburied in New York's iconic St Patrick's Cathedral, the Irish Independent can reveal.
John Curry was just five years old when he, along with 14 other men, women and children, saw the miraculous vision of Our Lady on a wet August evening over 135 years ago in the small Mayo village.
Economic circumstances forced him, as a young man, to emigrate to England and then New York, where he died in 1943, having given his testimony on the Knock miracle to a church investigation in 1937.
Speaking exclusively to the Irish Independent on Friday in Knock, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the Catholic archbishop of New York, said he was thinking of bringing John Curry's remains from where they are buried to the city's cathedral, which holds a special place in Irish Americans' hearts.
"We are thinking about moving the grave to St Patrick's - wouldn't that be beautiful?" he said.
He said the last time Fr Richard Gibbons, the 45-year-old parish priest of Knock, was in New York, he visited John Curry's grave.
"He was a little worried. He said it was obvious that the grave was old and that people had not been visiting it. I said we should move him to St Patrick's," the American prelate commented.
Cardinal Dolan was in Knock to officially open the annual novena, which is expected to draw crowds of up to 150,000 over the nine days from until August 22.
Last Sunday, Cardinal Dolan arrived with 165 American pilgrims for a week-long visit to Ireland which the American underlined was spiritual in its motive.
"I told our people from the beginning, 'We're not tourists - this is a pilgrimage.'"
They had Mass in Lough Derg, where they spent half a day instead of the traditional three days.
"The day was so raw and cold that our people got a good hint of the mortification and the self-denial associated with Lough Derg," explained the cardinal.
In contrast, they had a "glorious" day on the Dingle Peninsula on Thursday, when they visited the 6th-century Christian Gallarus Oratory. They also visited Listowel and the Killarney cathedral.
Detailed Description of Our Lady, the Queen of Peace, as she appears in Medjugorje
Over the years people questioned the visionaries of Medjugorje about Our Lady’s appearance, but the most successful inquirer by far was the author, Fr. Janko Bubalo, a Franciscan of the Hercegovinian province. He had followed the events associated with the apparitions from the beginning. For a number of years he heard confessions in Medjugorje and acquired an intimate knowledge of Medjugorje spirituality. One result of his interest is his book A Thousand Encounters with the Blessed Virgin Mary in Medjugorje (1985). It met with worldwide success and received a reward. In this book Vicka, the visionary, in answer to Fr. Bubalo’s questions, gives a detailed account of her encounters with Our Blessed Lady. It is true that Fr. Bubalo had interviews with the other visionaries, but in the end decided to publish only the conversations he had with Vicka, because it seemed to him that she answered his questions in the most comprehensive way. Besides, what the other visionaries had to say did not differ essentially from Vicka’s accounts.
Time has passed and attempts at portraying Our Lady as she appears at Medjugorje have multiplied. Many of these attempts diverged from the description given by the visionaries, so in order to prevent from further confusion, Fr. Bubalo, though now advanced in years (he was born in 1913), sent a questionnaire to all the visionaries in which he asked them to supply answers to a number of questions relating to Our Lady’s appearance. Five of the six visionaries responded to Fr. Bubalo appeal and signed their completed questionnaire forms at Humac in 1992. These five were Ivan Dragicevic, Vicka Ivankovic, Marija Pavlovic, Ivanka Ivankovic and Mirjana Dragicevic. Because of circumstances, the sixth visionary, Jakov Colo was unable to return his questionnaire form, but he agreed with what the other visionaries said, and had nothing to add to their accounts.
The visionaries say this life-sized oil-on-tissue rendering by Florentine artist Carmelo Puzzolo is the closest likeness of Gospa (Our Lady, Queen of Peace)
We now present the questions in full and the results of the visionaries' brief answers. 1. As the first thing, tell me: how tall is the Madonna that you regularly see? About 165 cm - Like me. (Vicka) [5 feet 5 inches]
2. Does she look rather "slender", slim or . . .? She looks rather slender.
3. About how many kilograms do you think she weighs? About 60 kilograms (132 pounds).
4. About how old do you think she is? From 18 to 20 years old.
5. When she is with the Child Jesus does she look older? She looks as usual - she looks the same.
6. When Our Lady is with you is she always standing or . . . Always standing.
7. On what is she standing? On some little cloud.
8. What colour is that little cloud? The cloud is a whitish color.
9. Have you ever seen her kneel? Never! (Vicka, Ivan, Ivanka. . .)
10. Naturally your Madonna also has her own face. How does it look: round or rather long - oval? It's rather long - oval - normal.
11. What colour is her face? Normal - rather light - rosy cheeks.
12. What colour is her brow? Normal - mainly light like her face.
13. What kind of lips does Our Lady have - rather thick or thin? Normal - beautiful - they are more thin.
14. What colour are they? Reddish - natural colour.
15. Does Our Lady have any dimples, as we people usually have? Ordinarily she doesn't - perhaps a little, if she smiles. (Mirjana)
16. Is there some pleasant smile ordinarily noticeable on her countenance? Maybe - more like some indescribable gentleness - there's a smile visible as if somehow under her skin. (Vicka)
17. What is the colour of Our Lady's eyes? Her eyes are wonderful! Clearly blue. (all)
18. Are they rather big or . . .? More normal - maybe a little bit bigger. (Marija)
19. How are her eyelashes? Delicate - normal.
20. What colour are her eyelashes? Normal - no special colour.
21. Are they thinner or . . .? Ordinary - normal.
22. Of course, Our Lady also has a nose. What is it like: sharp or . . .? A nice, little nose (Mirjana) - normal, harmonizing with her face. (Marija)
23. And Our Lady's eyebrows? Her eyebrows are thin - normal - more of a black colour.
24. How is your Madonna dressed? She is clothed in a simple woman's dress.
25. What colour is her dress? Her dress is grey - maybe a little bluish-grey. (Mirjana)
26. Is the dress tight-fitting or does it fall freely? It falls freely.
27. How far down does her dress reach? All the way down to the little cloud on which she's standing - it blends into the cloud.
28. How far up around the neck? Normally - up to the beginning of her neck.
29. Is a part of Our Lady's neck visible? Her neck is visible, but nothing of her bosom is visible.
30. How far do her sleeves reach? Up to her palms.
31. Is Our Lady's dress hemmed with anything? No, not with anything.
32. Is there anything pulled in or tied around Our Lady's waist? No, there's nothing.
33. On the body of the Madonna that you see, is her femininity noticeable? Of course it's noticeable! But nothing specially. (Vicka)
34. Is there anything else on Our Lady besides this dress described? She has a veil on her head.
35. What colour is that veil? The veil is a white colour.
36. Pure white or . . .? Pure white.
37. How much of her does the veil cover? It covers her head, shoulders and complete body from the back and from the sides.
38. How far down does it reach? It reaches down to the little cloud, also like her dress.
39. How far does it cover in front? It covers from the back and from the sides.
40. Does the veil look firmer, thicker than Our Lady's dress? No it doesn't - it's similar to the dress.
41. Is there any kind of jewellery on her? There is no kind of jewellery.
42. Is the veil trimmed with anything at the ends? Not with anything.
43. Does Our Lady have any kind of ornament at all? She has no kind.
44. For example, on her head or around the head? Yes - she has a crown of stars on her head.
45. Are there always stars around her head? Ordinarily there are - there always are. (Vicka)
46. For example, when she appears with Jesus? She's the same way.
47. How many stars are there? There are twelve of them.
48. What colour are they? Golden - gold colour.
49. Are they in any way connected with each other? They are connected with something - so that can stay up. (Vicka)
50. Is a little bit of Our Lady's hair visible? A little bit of her hair is visible.
51. Where do you see it? A little above her forehead - from under the veil - from the left side.
52. What colour is it? Its black.
53. Is either of Our Lady's ears ever visible? No, they are never visible.
54. How is that? Well, the veil covers her ears.
55. What is Our Lady usually looking at during the apparition? Usually she is looking at us - sometimes at something else, at what she's showing.
56. How does Our Lady hold her hands? Her hands are free, relaxed, extended.
57. When does she hold her hands folded? Almost never - maybe sometimes at the "Glory be".
58. Does she ever move, gesture with her hands during the apparitions? She does not gesture, except when she shows something.
59. Which way are her palms turned when her hands are extended? Her palms are usually relaxed upwards - her fingers are relaxed in the same way.
60. Are her fingernails then also visible? They are partially visible.
61. How are they - which colour are they? Natural colour – clean-cut fingernails.
62. Have you ever seen Our Lady's legs? No - never - her dress always covers them.
63. Finally, is Our Lady really beautiful, as you have said? Well, really we haven't told you anything about that - her beauty cannot be described - it is not our kind of beauty - that is something ethereal - something heavenly - something that we'll only see in Paradise - and then only to a certain degree.
A decade ago Tim Stanley joined the Catholic Church, the culmination of a journey that began with his family’s spiritualism and took in Marx and Anglicanism
Ten years ago this month, I became a Catholic. It happened in the attic of the guest house at Ealing Abbey. There was just me, a friend and a monk, and the operation took about an hour. Afterwards we went for cocktails. I started things as I meant to go on.
I guess the two big questions to ask a convert are: why did you do it and are you happy? Answering the first point is hard. It’s like asking a man why he married a woman. There’s a temptation to invent a narrative – to say, “this happened, that happened and before we knew it we were where we are today”. But the simpler, yet more complex, answer is this: I fell in love.
I was lucky to grow up in a household open to religious belief. My grandparents were Christian spiritualists; Grandma advertised as a clairvoyant. Mum and Dad became Baptists in the 1990s. I remember the pastor one Sunday telling us that evolution was gobbledygook. The teenager in me came to regard the faithful as fools, but I was wrong. I couldn’t see that they were literate, inquisitive, musically gifted and the kindest people you’d ever meet. But I went my own way and embraced Marxism.
By the time I arrived at Cambridge University I was a hard-left Labour activist and a militant atheist. I saw life as a struggle. Salvation could only come through class revolution. The life of the individual was unimportant. Mine was unhappy. Very unhappy. I disliked myself and, as is so common, projected that on to a dislike of others. I’m ashamed now to think of how rude and mean I was. Perhaps I was ashamed then, too, because I had fantasies of obliterating myself from history.
History was my redemption. In my second year I studied the Civil War. I discovered a world more colourful and distinct than today’s. A world of faith; of saints and martyrs. My Marxist sympathy was for the Protestant Diggers but I was intrigued by Archbishop William Laud and his fight to restore the sacramental dignity to the Anglican Church. For some reason I started to visit far-flung churches in Kent. I’d get up at 6am and cycle to a Sunday early morning service at Seal village. It calmed my soul.
I suddenly felt a great need to reconcile myself to something. Because Anglicanism was the only thing on offer at Cambridge (the Catholic chaplaincy felt like an Irish embassy), I asked to be baptised into the Church of England. Anglo-Catholicism was the closest I could get to Laud’s vision of majesty incarnate. But it wasn’t enough. Although I had made tremendous progress, something inside me said that I hadn’t yet reached my destination. Something was missing. Prayer revealed it to be the Catholic Church – the alpha, the rock, the bride of Christianity. I converted quietly in 2005 without letting many others know, including my family. It was like running away to Gretna Green to get married in secret.
Of course, the narrative I’ve given could be something I’ve constructed in hindsight. The journey was never straightforward; there were false starts and I often got lost. I remain uncertain of exactly why I converted at all. But I know I was absolutely right to.
What have I gained that’s unique to Catholicism? Two things. First, structure. When you become a Catholic, you become a part of something much bigger than yourself. I can go to any place in the world and am guaranteed to find a church where there will be a Mass that I will understand and can take part in. I will share with the communicants a faith, a culture and a history spanning two thousand years. When I go to the Sistine Chapel and look at the ceiling, I don’t just see something pretty. I see something that means something to me personally because I believe it all happened. The story of the Martyrs of Compiègne is my story, too – the nuns who were killed in 1794 for their refusal to accept the authority of the French Revolution over their faith. And I understand why the Mexican martyrs of the Cristero War shouted “Viva Cristo Rey!” before their executioners opened fire. As a historian, I no longer just study history. I am a part of it.
Structure plugs you into humanity. If I am lonely or afraid, I’ve got somewhere to turn to. I recently lectured on a cruise ship: eight days at sea with 2,000 strangers. If you’re a shy boy, like me, this could be hell. But I was relieved to find that there was a friendly priest on board. Suddenly, my day had greater purpose (Mass in the mornings). More importantly, I had someone to talk to who understood what I was saying. And through this charming cleric, I got talking to other Catholics who shared the instant warmth that says: “Howdy stranger, I think we might be related.”
We met a lady on board who had a daughter with Down’s syndrome. When she was born people said: “What a pity.” But the Church said she was beautiful and gave the child a role in the community. Now the parish priest is her best friend. There is no judgment in the Catholic Church, only love. I get angry when people paint it as distant or cruel. They simply can’t have ever been to Mass.
The second thing I draw from Catholicism is hope. The consolation of the sacraments. I know that no matter how bad things get, I can always go to Confession, take part in the Mass and set things right again. Every day is a whole new day. And every day offers the chance for salvation. In every second of every hour there is a Mass being said. With each Eucharist, we relive the sacrifice of Jesus. As a young Protestant, I saw the crucifixion as something historical that only happened once and would never happen again. Now I know that His sacrifice is constant and eternal. For people who live with despair, and that’s almost all of us, this promise is astonishing. One of the hardest things to believe is that someone else could love you unconditionally. We Catholics have proof. I suspect that this gift has saved my life. I might have died without it. It’s that powerful.
Conquering your own demons is the beginning of seeing the light in others. I’ve abandoned Marxism (a whole other complicated story) in part because I’ve realised that you can’t save this world by trying to tell others what to do. Politics is impotent compared to a kind word or a helping hand. Not that I’ve become a saint over the past 10 years – on the contrary, I’m more conscious of my failings. When you become a Catholic you find lots of new ways of feeling guilty.
But one way I hope to do good is by telling everyone about my faith. And I do it as often as possible. I tell them that I am exquisitely lucky. I live in a world of mystery, where I get to witness the real presence of Christ every week at Mass. I’ve met clerics of boundless charity and wisdom; the parish priest is one of my best friends, too. I’ve gained a friend in Jesus and a spiritual mother in Mary. When I’m lost for words, I pray to St Francis de Sales. When the seas get choppy, I pray to St Christopher.
Sometimes it doesn’t feel as though I converted to Catholicism so much as my soul returned to it. This is my journey’s end. I am home. Tim Stanley is a historian and writer for the Daily Telegraph
Pope’s Nephew: Francis Was Always an ‘Attentive and Thoughtful’ Uncle
Jose Ignacio Bergoglio Gives Insight on Pontiff to Spanish Newspaper
A thoughtful, attentive and likeable uncle, lover of good cooking and always ready to give “good advice.” These were thoughts of nephew Jose Ignacio Bergoglio who revealed new facets of the Pope’s personality, two and a half years into his Pontificate.
In an exclusive with the Spanish newspaper ABC, the son of Maria Elena, the only living sister of Pope Francis, sketches a candid portrait of the present Pontiff, steeped in simple memories and family affection, without neglecting numerous unpublished details that only a relative can know.
For instance, the Holy Father’s telephone call to his sister on the night of his election: “He called my mother, and to the question ‘How are you?’ he answered ‘Well, gordita.” Then he added: “I couldn’t refuse.” “He did not want to be Pope,” recalls Jose Ignacio. “As every Jesuit, he was and is a detached person and then he felt very connected to his Buenos Aires. To the question if he wished to become Pope, obviously he answered ‘no,’ but at the moment of the election there wasn’t a choice: he had to accept. He knew it was God’s plan.”
“In my opinion, the Holy Spirit works in him, because I see him rejuvenated, loose, free, happy, about the things he’s carrying forward. It’s known that when he entered the Society of Jesus he wanted to be a missionary, but health problems blocked his purpose. Today, instead, he does so and can allow himself this grandiose luxury,” he noted.
And to think that his mother Regina (Sivori) at first did not take well her son Jorge Mario’s decision to become a priest; her fear was that if he did she would lose her eldest son.” “To tell the truth my uncle had promised my grandmother that he would begin his studies in medicine, but in the end he chose to heal souls,” says his nephew.
One day, “Regina went to my uncle’s room and, to her great surprise, she discovered that he was following a course to enter the Seminary.” There were books in Latin, of Theology. And the lady then said: “Jorge, you’ve lied to me.” “No, mother, I’m studying medicine for souls,” answered the future Pope. Having accepted his decision, however, Regina experienced “great happiness.”
And who knows what joy his grandmother Rosa would have relished on seen her nephew dressed today in white guiding Peter’s Barque! -- the grandmother that many times Francis himself has mentioned as the woman who transmitted the faith to him. Jose Ignacio confirms it: it was grandma Rosa who taught the future Pope to pray and she did so also with his parents, Regina and Mario, who handed down those values left then in inheritance “to all of us.”
“Ours has always been a religious family,” stresses Jose Ignacio, and he reveals also some unpublished particulars on the future Pope’s vocation. “One spring day he was to go on a picnic with friends. That same day he was thinking of declaring his love to a girl he liked very much, but he passed in front of Saint Joseph’s church in the district of Flores (Buenos Aires) and he changed his decision. He entered the church to pray; then he went to confession and spoke at length with a priest and, in this conversation, he discovered that his real love was turned to God.”
Of his special uncle, the nephew does not only recall his faith but also his passion for good cooking, in particular, Italian food. “He knows how to do different styles of pasta. He liked to prepare things for his friends to eat, prepare a collation for himself and make his bed. Today, of course, he is no longer a cook, but he gets up early, at 4, makes his bed, prays and then he starts to work right away,” he says.
On their relationship, the young Bergoglio remembers the Pope as a thoughtful and attentive uncle, “who always gave good advice. We always had excellent relations and he has always supported us when close and from afar.” On his election to the papacy, he confirms instead what has already been said of Francis in other conversations and that many fear: “He is capable of taking decisions and therefore, if one day he feels that he is unable to continue, he can take that necessary one: to resign.”
