Iran's wise words on war

Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said yesterday that it is easy to start a conflict but it is impossible to end it

"Whoever starts a war will not be the one to end it," he said.

Our public libraries offer fabulous facilities

This week's Independent News & Media Irish regional newspapers' column.

Michael Commane

Have you been in a public library recently?

Someone suggested that I read Elisabeth Kubler-Ross’s autobiography. Never heard of her or the book so I called into a public library near me. 

They told me it was out but that they would email me when it was available. And true to their word, some days later the email arrived, informing me that the book was in the library and they would hold it until July 26.

How the world of libraries has changed? They have gone from being stuffy off-putting pseudo-scholarly scary buildings to being warm and welcoming places, where you can fall into a soft chair and read to your heart’s content.

Many of them offer a wide selection of daily national and UK newspapers. The library has become the perfect place to relax and have a free read of a hard-copy newspaper.

And the staff could not be friendlier or more helpful.

Did you know that you can now return a library book at any of the State’s public libraries? So, say I bring Kubler-Ross’ book to Kerry with me and finish it there, I can deposit it any library in Kerry. If your public library does not have a requested book they can search in any of the State’s public libraries for it and get it to you.

And all of these facilities are available for free once you have a library card, which is easily obtained.

 With that card you can borrow books from all the public libraries within the State and indeed, avail of all the other facilities they offer. The card is akin to the Travel Pass with fewer restrictions on it.

It also allows you to read many of the world’s press online.

If you download an app called PressReader, supply details of your library card when prompted, hey presto, up jumps a myriad local and national newspapers from around the world. I have seen Indian, Canadian, and even Wicklow and Kerry newspapers on it. You can read away to your heart’s content and all for free. If you prefer to read a hard copy, then you can print it off.

The State’s public libraries also offer an online reading service, called BorrowBox, which gives access to a large selection of books, either in text or audio format.

A number of libraries also offers a service outside normal working hours. It’s called ‘My Open Library’ and offers access to a library on a self-service basis from 8am to 10pm, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

It is to facilitate people so that they can avail of library services at times that suit them.

This service began as a pilot project in designated libraries in Offaly and Sligo in 2014. It is currently being rolled out across the State and will be extended to a total of 100 libraries by 2022 and a further 200 by 2027.

Isn’t it interesting how so often we miss what is right in front of our noses. Our public libraries are a gem. Use them. Drop into your local library and surprise yourself. And note the friendly welcome you will receive.

Catching up on 105 years of history

Irish Dominican Paul Lawlor chatting with the oldest Vietnamese Dominican Sister. The Sister was born in 1914. No doubt they are having an interesting conversation.

This lady was born the year before Paul's mother, who lived to the venerable age of 101. And the Dominican Sister was born five years after my father, who lived to 95. It so happens that Paul's mother and my father often reminisced together in West Kerry about 'the good old days'.

No doubt Paul and Sister are reminiscing too?

There are approximately 3,400 Dominican Sisters in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Sermon of new Domincan boss

Fr. Gerard Francisco Parco Timoner III, O.P., Master of the Order, delivers the homily at Mass in the Cathedral of the Diocese of Xuân Lộc, 27 July, 2019. The full text of his homily is below. 

When we invited Bishop Joseph and Bishop John to speak to the capitulars, they told us: “we welcome you to Xuan Loc not as a matter of favor but as a profound gesture of our communion with you”. I thought that the word communion which has kept coming to my mind since I heard it from the relatio must really be an inspiring message of the Lord to our general chapter. And now Bishop Joseph has invited us to celebrate this sacrament of communion and thanksgiving, the Eucharist.

As we listen to the prophet Zechariah, it is not difficult to imagine that what he said is somehow taking place in this cathedral: Many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord to implore the favor of the Lord. We have come from many nations to seek the Lord’s grace, as brothers, that we may become more like Christ-the-preacher, so that what the prophet dreamed may become a reality: “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”

How can this be? Who should we be and what should we do so that when we preach people could say: “God is with you”! I know an ordinary but joyful friar who is loved by many. When people see him coming, you could hear some say: “Thanks be to God”! His presence reminds them of God, he is a blessing! But I have seen also one or two grumpy and grouchy friars (I believe they are an exception). When people see this brother coming, you could almost hear them say: “O God come to our aid!”

As we look closely at the Gospel reading, we realize that among the difficult things an apostle ought to do, Jesus repeats only one advice, and it involves eating: “Stay in the house eating and drinking at their table, do not move from house to house” and then again, “When they welcome you, eat what is set before you”. That Jesus repeats this counsel invites us to pause and ponder. Here are the seventy-two, sent to preach the Good News, filled with great power to heal all who are sick; why is Jesus is concerned that the ones he sent might be choosy over food? What is so important about receiving table hospitality that the charge is made twice?

As preachers of the Gospel, we know it is almost impossible to move about with a single set of clothes and with no money in our pockets. But it is also very difficult, at times, to eat what is set before us by the people we minister to. Many years ago, as novices, we spent ten days at a leprosarium, called Tala or Star. One morning, after giving communion to the patients, we went back to one of the wards. A leper who looked eager to welcome guests greeted us. I took his hands for a handshake, only to be shocked and shaken that the hand I was holding was without fingers! Then we were invited to sit down for some refreshment. The glasses of soda and bread they served were clean but it was difficult to eat what was set before us. What if we get contaminated with leprosy? It was also difficult to eat because of the humbling realization that they were probably offering us their ration of food.

Eat what is set before you, Jesus tells us. Before we begin to preach or heal or do anything for the good of others, we are told, not once, but twice, to be served by the people we are intending to serve. Jesus is telling us that we can only feed people if we are willing to be fed by them. We can become more effective in our preaching if we listen attentively to what our hearers tell us. Surely, there is more blessing in giving than in receiving, but what good is giving if no one is willing to receive? Is not the joy that we feel when we give, a gift in itself?

Solidarity is essential for an effective preaching of the Gospel. But solidarity is a two-way street. No one is so poor that he cannot give, no one is so rich that he cannot receive. We must all learn to know our poverty, to understand what we lack, that we may learn to beg, that we may discover our insufficiency — that we need God and our brothers and other people. It is easier to love because we decide how to manifest that love; it is more difficult to be loved, to receive love, because, we are not in control, we cannot know in advance what or how the other would give love. In like manner, it is easier to give because we decide on what we could give; it is more difficult to beg; to learn how to receive with humility. To learn to be evangelized by the people we serve, by the poor, by those we help, the sick, orphans, they have so much to give us. No one is so poor that he cannot give, no one is so rich that he cannot receive.

When we eat what is set before us, we enter into a table fellowship with our host. In this Eucharistic celebration, Jesus is the host who invites us to eat what he sets before us. Our ministry and apostolate will only be effective if they emanate from our table fellowship with the Eucharistic Lord.

Johnson's thoughts on war in Vietnam

In early 1965 when newly elected US President Lyndon Johnson had been asked to suply more troops to the battlefield in Vietnam he quipped: 

 "I feel like a jackass caught in a Texas hailstorm. I can't run, I can't hide and I can't make it stop."

Dominicans meet at Long Khánh

Apologies.

There was inaccurate information on this blog about the location of the Dominican international meeting.

It has now been replaced by the paragraphs below.

Biên Hòa is the name of the nearest Dominican house and so it gives its name to the Dominican international meeting. It is approximately 50 km to the west of where the Dominicans are meeting.

The meeting is being held in the city of Long Khánh, in St Joseph’s Seminary in the diocese of Xuân Lộc.  

The city of Xuân Lộc from which the diocese takes it name is approximately 20 km to the east. Xuân Lộc is where the last great battle of the Vietnam war took place.

For more on the  location see the web site of the large seminary. It is a seminary for several dioceses.

https://dcvxuanloc.net/dai-chung-vien-thanh-giuse-xuan-loc/saint-joseph-seminary-of-xuan-loc

All organisations must listen to the people

It was on July 28, 1965 that US President Lyndon Johnson announced  his order to increase the number of US troops in South Vietnam from 75,000 to 125,000.

There are many reasons why the Americans lost in Vietnam but one imporatant factor was that the people back in Washington were not listening to what the troops in the field were telling them.

And it was the same with the South Vietnamese Army, the people in Saigon knew best, better than the  people in the villages and towns.

A breakdown between people and leadership spells ruin.

Last year in the diocese of Würzburg, one of Germany's most Catholic areas, 40 percent more Catholics left the church than in 2017.

Würzburg is in Bavaria, which is a predominantly a Catholic state.

In 'The Irish Catholic' this week the  new auxiliary bishop in Armagh Michael Router is reported to have said that the role of female laity must be enhanced.

The Irish Catholic Church is a clerical organisation and seldom listens to the people.

Isn't it a rule of thumb that bishops and provincials  'know best' even  if they are incompetent and witless?

Cardinal Marx should come to Rathgar

CARDINAL Reinhard Marx of Munich, chairman of the German bishops’ conference, said he is often disappointed by the quality of homilies at Mass and raised the question as
to whether lay persons should not be allowed to give the sermon, writes Christa Pongratz-Lippitt in the current issue of ‘The Tablet’.

He was speaking at a meeting with the archdiocese’s lectors - or readers last week.

“Should only priests be allowed to preach?

Things must move on.”

Cardinal Marx should come to The Three Patrons Church in Dublin’s Rathgar some Wednesday morning for the 7.30 Mass.

Dominicans meet near place of last great battle

The Dominican Order is currently holding an international meeting in Biên Hòa, Long Khanh in Vietnam.   

Many of the families  living in the area came from the North in the 1950s and are Catholic with Dominican connections.   

Ther are 440 members in the Dominican Province of Vietnam.

Nearby is Xuan Loc where the last great battle of the Vietnam war was fought and which opened the way for the northern forces into Saigon.

Recommended viewing is 'The Vietnam War' available at present on Netflix.

Far-right politicians clowning to the tune of oligarchs

This is a brilliant article, one of the best I have ever read on the topic. It makes perfect sense. And how we are being fooled.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/jul/26/trump-johnson-nationalists-billionaire-oligarchs?CMP=share_btn_link

Kilcummin parishioners in dispute with bishop

This week's 'Kerry's Eye' carries a story about a disagreement between the Bishop of Kerry and the people of Kilcummin parish.

The dispute is the main story on page one and the full story appears on page 20.

The headline runs: 'You must respect my decision to remove priest' with the sub heading 'Be Christians and have respect'.

What would Pope Francis have to say about this language and this style of leadership that would allow a story such as this to run in a regional newspaper?

Time running out on payphones

There are 468 public payphones still in operation in the State.

Call on letter-writer

Someone has written to the writer of this blog.

It would be greatly appreciated if the letter-writer would make contact. It could prove most helpful and serve a great good.

The cancer of far-right politics is spreading

This week's Independent News & Media Irish regional newspapers' column.

Michael Commane

 For all the time that Donald Trump has been President of the United States we have been hearing about some of the zany aspects of his presidency. Most of it has come from the media he despises, whether it be ‘The New York Times’, ‘The Washington Post’ or CNN.

But when the United Kingdom ambassador to the United States writes back home to his prime minister similar thoughts about the shenanigans in the White House surely one has to be alarmed. 

Ambassadors are quintessentially careful, polite and proper with their words. They are not prone to hyperbole and certainly British ambassadors are renowned worldwide for their diplomacy. I’m scared when I hear Sir Kim Darroch write home to Theresa May that the main reason why the US has reneged on the Iran agreement is because of the depth of bad feeling Donald Trump has towards former President Barack Obama. That does not augur well for the world.

On July 14 Trump tweeted: ‘Why don’t they go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they come.’

He was referring to four Democrat congresswomen of colour. They are Alexandria Ocasio-Cortes from New York, Ayanna Pressley, Massachusetts; Rashida Tlaib, Michigan and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota.

All of these congresswoman with the exception of Omar were born in the US. Omar was born in Somalia and moved to the US when she was 12.

In simple clear language the US president has shouted at them ‘to go home’. That is simply racism and should be called that and nothing else.

In Germany in the eastern state of Thuringia there is a politician by the name of Björn Höcke, who is a member of the far-right party, Alternative for Germany (AfD). Even in his own party there are people comparing him to Goebbels. Last year he came close to being expelled from the party for having said that Germany’s efforts to remember and learn from its Nazi past had crippled the country.

And right now Höcke is in a strong position to take over the leadership of this extreme right-wing party.

How has it all come to this?

But what is most scary of all, people like Trump, Höcke, Britain’s Boris Johnson, Italy’s Matteo Salvini and may I add in Cardinal Burke, all know that they have wide support for their far-right, xenophobic rantings. Yes, that far-right phenomenon is also showing its ugly head in the Catholic Church. And it is merciless.

Some years ago I had the great good fortune to visit Iran. I was most impressed by the people and the little I learned about their culture in the time I was there.

Right now the relationship between Iran and the US is dangerous and worrying.

I believe that should the US lay a finger on Iran the world could easily go up in flames.

Remember, the US has broken a deal it made with Iran. And all the while Russia and China look on in silence.

The world needs peace. But it also needs to tell Trump and his allies that his behaviour might ignite a spark that would be impossible to quench.

I’m reminded of Homer Simpson driving by a Republican convention observing a banner outside that says: ‘We’re just plain evil.’ Then further down the road outside a Democratic convention there is another banner saying: ‘We just don’t know how to govern’.

Good governance executed through compromise and consultation is what the world needs. Scoring points is for games

Flannan Aidan Hynes OP, RIP

Dominican priest Flannan Aidan Hynes died in Montevideo, Uruguay yesterday. He was born on April 10, 1930, which means he was 89 years-old.

Flannan joined the Dominicans in 1948, made profession the following year and was ordained a priest in 1955.

His brother Paul too was a Dominican, who joined the Order three years after Flannan and was four years younger than he. Both men attended Newbridge College as boarders.

Flannan worked in Argentina and it was while there he was elected provincial of the Irish Province.

Irish man Damian Byrne, who  was elected master of the Dominican Order in 1983, appointed Flannan as a socius/assistant, which meant he moved to Santa Sabina in Rome.

As assistant to the master he visited every province in Latin America, inlcuding the Amazon Basin in Peru much to the surprise of the Spanish Dominicans living there in isolation. That area is the subject of an upcoming Synod in Rome.

As  well as serving as provinical of the Irish province Flannan was appointed provinical of the Province of Argentina by the master of the Order.

He continued to work as an assistant with Damian's successor, Englishman Timothy Radcliffe.

Flannan and Damian were a team. Before they went to Argentina they were destined for a quiet apostolate in Ireland, taking what came their way and doing it dutifully.

All that changed in Mexico where they had to rethink their presence there. They had to move away from the thinking of the then provincial Louis Coffey and the provincial council.

In Recreo in Argentina they became desert fathers. They lived near a railway junction that was busy 24/7 and certainly not conducive to sleep.

Damian argued strongly for a new approach to parish and mission and to move away from the tried and tested model planted in a foreign land.

Both Flannan and Damian quickly learned the intrigue of clerical politics.

The Latin American church had woken up to its social responsibility but not so in Argentina.

The option for the poor was the cry and the Irish Dominican Sisters led the way and as they still do today.

On completion of his term in Rome he returned to South America and has been for the last number of years living in Uruguay where in recent years he has been bursar of the  vice-province. Uruguay, unlike most South American countries, is a secular state.

He was a tall slim man, an ascetic sort of person, you could say a private man. He was serious in his outlook but enjoyed company. He made some lifelong friends in Parana, people with a new vision for church.

He was in his late 30s when he was first elected in 1969 provincial the Irish Dominican Province.

The effects/thoughts/theology of the Vatican Council were raging, changes were happening, the church was alight with new ideas, excitement was the menu of the day. And on walks Flannan Hynes.

Above all he was a kind person, who deeply loved the Order and the Church. He had a great interest in people and walked many a mile with those in pain and difficulty.

He was an honest person, who had no time for humbug, indeed, he shared many of his brother Paul's characteristics. He was a man of prayer.

Flannan had a vision for the Irish Province. He was always thinking of what we should be doing and where to next.

It was always his opinion that the Irish Dominicans should identify with the poor and marginalised.

He was a good friend to the Irish Dominican Sisters in Argentina and was a powerful and helpful support to the many Dominicans who left the Order during the years of haemorrhaging. And so many fine men left in those years, men who would have played a prophetic role in the Province.

Only on Friday I was talking with Flannan on WhatsApp. He had no intentions of dying when I was speaking with him. When I told him that I had heard he was not coming home this summer he got annoyed and told me that it was his plan to come to Ireland shortly. He never made it.

On that same call he expressed great enthusiasm about the new master of the Order: "It's wonderful that they have moved away from Europe and gone to a new place," he said.

He was a forward thinking person but he never allowed me to indulge in criticism of the current road that the Irish Province is taking. He would simply say: "...shush Michael". He was a most respectful sort of person, a dignified and noble human being.

He was a gentleman.

I never knew him to sneer at a person, he was not a man to gossip.

It so happens that Flannan's late mother and my father's brother did a short 'line' fado fado when they were both living in Co. Tipperary.

I have lost a great support and good friend. And the Irish Province is a poorer place without Flannan Hynes.

Flannan has written an account of the province's first five years in Argentina,which in many ways is a debate between the home province and those working on the mission.

But maybe it should be Aidan Flannan Hynes. Aidan was his baptismal/ the name his parents gave him. Flannan was the name he received when he joined the Dominicans. Most of his generation returned to their baptismal names in the 1970s as did his brother, who reverted from Anselm to Paul. But Flannan retained the name he was given when he received the habit.

May he rest in peace.

Merkel warns against far-right politics

At a ceremony in Berlin's Bendlerblock Angela Merkel warned against the move towards far-right politics, racism and anti-semitism.

The German Chancellor with the newly appointed defence minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer yesterday remembered the 75th anniversary of the Stauffenberg failed assassination attempt on Hitler.
The attempt on Hitler's life was carried out at his headquarters at the Wolf's Lair in East Prussia on July 20, 1944

After the  bomb went off Stauffenberg returned immediately to Berlin. Later that night he was shot in the courtyard of the Bendlerblock, which was the seat of the commander-in-chief of the German Army.

During the Battle of Berlin, in April/May 1945 General Weidling used it as his HQ before surrendering to Soviet Red Army General Vasily Chuikov on May 2, 1945.

Following German reunification, the German Federal Ministry of Defence's Berlin office was moved the Bendlerblock.

Had the Red Army under Georgy Zhukov not defeated Paulus's Sixth Army at Stalingrad would Claus von Stauffenberg have gone ahead with his assassination attempt?

The defeat on the Volga played a pivotal role in changing the minds and hearts of many Germans towards Hitler.

Never too busy to listen and learn

The 'Thinking Anew' column in The Irish Times today.

Michael Commane
Half listening to RTE Radio 1 and washing the dishes at the same time in early July I heard the presenter talking about someone finding a crumpled box of tampons on the ground. I stood at the sink for a moment and asked myself why did I have to listen to this nonsense. I changed over to BBC Radio 4 where they were talking about the German writer Bertolt Brecht. That certainly was some difference.

I still recall a wise comment made by Gay Byrne: people were phoning in objecting to some item that had been mentioned on his radio programme. In that clear distinctive voice of his he simply said that radios had on/off switches and if someone is not happy with what they are hearing, they can so easily switch off the radio. Profound and it makes great sense.

When the Bertold Brecht clip was finished I turned off the radio.

Tomorrow’s Gospel is the well-known story of Mary and Martha (Luke 10: 38 - 42). Martha does all the work and Mary sits down and listens.

There’s need for work and activity and so too is quiet and downtime an essential part of our lives.

On Saturday July 13 I travelled on the 7am Heuston Cork rail service. I’m something of a rail anorak and enjoy travelling by rail. But there is a special magic about an early weekend morning train in Ireland. I was in the leading coach with just two other passengers in the coach. 

It was quiet, a faint sound of the wheels rolling over the continuous welded rail underneath. We travelled at 137 km/h or 100 mph and the railway has not changed over from imperial to metric measurement. While there there were clouds in the sky, the fields of Tipperary were looking beautiful. Farmyards, cattle, horses, a field of cut hay, all came into view and were left behind. And it was all so quiet. The fields exuded some sort of extraordinary quietness. The ditches and trees and not a word to be heard.

I’m inclined to say such an experience takes us very close to heaven.

These days it’s almost cliche to say we all need to take time out. It’s important that we retreat from the frenetic hustle and bustle of our lifestyles. And on the flip side of that we have this idea that it’s cool, modern, urbane to be busy and then to talk about how busy we are, complaining, but most likely bragging about our hectic work scedules. It’s ‘important’ people who are always busy.

And then the wonderful tale in tomorrow’s Gospel. Jesus, who is God and man, tells the busy and distracted Martha: "You worry and fret about so many things, and yet few are needed....” He goes on to tell her that Mary, who sits at his feet, listening to what he is saying, “has chosen the better part; it is not to be taken from her.”

I'm not by nature a contemplative person but some days before that rail journey I had the great good fortune to listen to a wise and prophetic man talk about the all-conquering power of God’s love for me, for all of us. That set me thinking. It has stopped me in my step and every quiet moment I can steal gives me an opportunity to think, maybe even to pray about God’s love for all of us. The fields of Tipperary, even from the passing window of  a fast moving train give one a chance to do just that. Seize the moment. Carpe diem.

Tomorrow’s Gospel, though written so long ago, offers such a wealth of wisdom for the times in which we are living.

So much wisdom and what boils down do ordinary sound advice is right in front of our noses and we so easily miss it.

It sends me back thinking of the love of God. Isn’t it exciting and challenging? Ignoring or worse dismissing it out of hand seems to me akin to removing the beauty and wonder that is right in front of our noses.

As the morning train moved through Munster's green fields I also spotted the trees, their majesty, their quietness. They were a silent reminder to me to notice and admire what is all around us.

Their gift to me is a resolution to listen more to the Word of God and to those who talk and live God’s love. And there are hints of it to be seen and experienced everywhere.

Dominican Order's inability in communicating

The Dominican Order is currently holding an international governance meeting in Vietnam.

The Irish Province of the Order disseminates no daily news of what is happening at the meeting.

The meeting itself has a website, www.capitulumgeneraleop2019.net. 

Below is the bulletin issued today.

It contains little or no news.

Where are the texts, who voted for what?

Navigating the website is close to impossible.

The press release below tells the reader nothing of interest. Do we really need to know what time they celebrated Mass or prayed Morning Prayer/Lauds? Who preached at Mass? Who is Benjamin Rodil, nationality, province, profile? Nothing.

Asking the reader to pray. Can it get more bland than this?

COMMISSIONS PRESENT TEXTS AND RECEIVE VOTES

The working day began with the usual morning Mass and Lauds at 7:00 am. Today’s Word reminded the capitulars and guests about the mercy of God, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” In his homily, the preacher helped the assembly to distinguish the differences between legality and legalism, and urged them to not close their eyes when confronting the suffering of others.

After a week of hard commission work, the capitulars today presented their interim reports, listened to the Chapter’s comments, and had them voted on. The themes discussed today included the renewal of fraternal life, solidarity and collaboration, government and Dominican family, vocations and formation. The positive comments of the assembly helped the capitulars vote on texts which will lead to legislation for the next nine years.

Let us continue to pray that the capitulars will be enlightened to make legislation for the good of the Order and for God’s people.

Brother Benjamin Rodil, International Coordinator – IDYM (International Dominican Youth Movement), also attended the Chapter as a member of Dominican Family. He hoped that this Chapter with the new Master of the Order would give a boost to the movement where young lay faithful are ready to share the mission of the Dominican Order.

Crass water wastage in Dublin

Last year on the worst day of the summer drought 315 million litres of water were consumed in Dublin. 

On the same day in the capital 300 million litres were lost because of leakages in a creaking pipe system no longer fit for purpose.

That day the city was close to its limits in capacity to deliver.

Intel and Ted Kennedy

On this date in 1968 Intel was founded in Mountain View California.

And the following year on July 18, 1969 US Senator Ted Kennedy crashed his car at Chappaquiddick Island, Massachusetts, killing Mary Jo Kopechne.

People will make up anything

This sentence near the end of Anna Burns ‘Milkman’:

"Even at the outer limits of absurdity and contradiction people will make up anything."

How true.

What exactly does Leo Varadkar think about priests?

This week's Independent News & Media Irish regional newspapers' column.

Michael Commane

I have read the fallout from Leo Varadkar’s silly comment about priests. I heard about it at the end of a hard day at work. My first comment to myself was, ‘what a clown’.

The apology the next day was silly too. When I heard that my immediate thought was that it was PR spin stuff. What actually does Leo believe, that priests are sinning behind altars or that they are wonderful men?

In the Dáil he said that Micheál Martin reminded him of one of those parish priests, who tells us ‘how to avoid sin while secretly going behind the altar and engaging in any amount of sin’.

Most political journalists are noticing how tetchy the relationship has become between the two leaders. No doubt the local elections have given Leo a fright and he’s worried about the gains Fianna Fáil are making. Power is the name of the game.

It must be a funny sort of relationship as Leo knows that he depends on Micheál to survive and yet he is his main opponent in Dáil Éireann.

Imagine had Leo made the derogatory comment about rabbis, mullahs or imams. Or indeed, had he said it about Church of Ireland clergy. What if he had said it about a spokesperson for Atheist Ireland? No, he specifically mentioned parish priests and that is a title exclusively used of priests within the Catholic Church.

Discrimination is an interesting phenomenon. These days it’s part of the vocabulary of the politically correct classes to denounce all forms of discrimination. But that usually means the types of discrimination that are not currently fashionable.

It’s interesting to note who sets the agenda.

Fifty or 60 years ago it would have been an unwise taoiseach who would have insulted parish priests. He simply would not have done it because back then parish priests still had status, they still had clout.

There has been much in the media about the comment. The usual suspects have been outraged and there have been those who feel that he insulted the Fianna Fáil leader by likening him to a priest.

But we all discriminate, indeed, it seems part of our nature to do so.

One dictionary definition of the word is to make an unjust or prejudicial distinction in the treatment of different categories of people, especially on the grounds of race, sex, or age. You can add many other categories to that definition, you can add religion, looks, physical appearance, the way we speak, our status. The categories are endless.

Priests right now in Ireland are not necessarily the flavour of the month. Personally I think that is something positive as priests are above all expected to be prophetic and holy people. And you can’t be a prophet and embedded within the status quo at the same time.

Leo’s comment has made me give some thought to how we all behave and are governed by our underlying prejudices.

For instance, I am interested in accents and there are certain accents to which I am drawn. People’s appearance influences me and how often I have got it wrong about the person because I’ve judged her or him on how they look or speak.

Leo, you should say what you mean. After all you have Dáil privilege and can say straight out what you want to say. If you want to tell Micheál Martin he’s a hypocrite, then tell him.

Priests are not the only professionals who are sometimes hypocritical.

Hypocrisy is a major Shakespearean theme.

Timothy Radcliffe warns against fragmentation

Below is the sermon preached by Timothy Radcliffe at the Mass of the Holy Spirit in Bien Hoa, Vietnam, before the election of a new Master of the Dominican Order.

Information about the Dominican Chapter is available at www.capitulumgeneraleop2019.net.

Is it unfortunate and indeed not acceptable that the 'management team' of the Irish Province of the Dominican Order is releasing no daily information on the chapter.

Timothy Radcliffe's sermon
The disciples are locked into the upper room because they are afraid. Jesus breaks through the wall, breathes the Holy Spirit on them, and sets them free to go on mission. We are like them as we pray for the Holy Spirit today. We are not locked in Bien Hoa by fear, even though we are advised not to go out! But each of us has fears that can imprison us and stop us going on mission.

What are our fears? It may be a fear of failure. If we embark on some ambitious project, will it fail? It may be the fear of leaving our comfortable and safe homes and going on mission to some dangerous place. We might be afraid of exploring difficult questions to which we do not have the answers. When Yves Congar was asked if his answers were right, he replied that he did not know, but the questions were right. Let us not fear difficult questions. We might be afraid, especially in the West, that our Provinces might not survive. Some older brethren are afraid of the young friars and their dreams. 

So we pray to the Holy Spirit that we shall be freed from fear and leave our locked rooms to preach. We pray for what a previous master, Vincent de Cougesnogle called ‘le courage de l’avenir’, the courage of the future. If we do so, of course we shall be vulnerable. An English Dominican, Herbert McCabe, often said: ‘If you love you will be hurt; you may even be killed. But if you do not love, you are dead already.’ Yes, we shall be wounded. We may be killed, like blessed Pierre Claverie in Algeria. But the Risen Christ shows the disciples his wounds. If we do not dare to be vulnerable, we shall never do anything.

We are also praying for the Spirit to guide us in the election of a new Master of the Order. He need not to be the bravest person who will liberate us. It is the Holy Spirit who will do that and not the Master of the Order! His main role is to support the Provinces and the brethren to whom the Spirit calls to some courageous mission. There will always be people who will try to squash some new initiative because it is risky; it might not work; we are already doing too much; it might be misunderstood. It’s not safe. The Master’s role is to resist that fear. We have hundreds of wonderful young friars who want to do something a little crazy. We must be realistic but never discourage them. The first thing that the angels said to the women after the resurrection was: ‘Do not be afraid.’

Often the brethren want our superiors – Priors, Provincials, the Master – to be solvers of problems. A provincial once showed me his archives and said: Those files are about 10% of the brethren, and they take 90% of my time. But, if a superior sees himself as a problem solver, he will find that more and more of the brethren are problems. A survey of Canadian hospitals found that the ideal hospital would have no patients. Some provincials might think that the ideal province would have no brethren since then there would be no problems.

The disciples in the upper room probably thought that Thomas was a problem. Why wasn’t he there, locked up with everyone else? Who gave him permission to go out into the dangerous world? If he gets hurt, he will probably expect us to look after him? Who will pay for his medical treatment? But it was this problematic disciple who first confesses the divinity of Christ. Of course there are problems which must be resolved if possible, but the main role of our new master and our provincials is encourage what Bruno called ‘apostolic creativity.’

Jesus says ‘Peace be with you.’ Our preaching springs from this peace. Thanks be to God, the Order is largely at peace. We may have tensions, even sometimes conflicts, but we remain one. The first duty of the Master is to care for the peace of the Order. This Bruno has done wonderfully.

That peace is destroyed when people are locked in small rooms of ideology. All over the world, people are retreating into small rooms and locking the doors. Conservative or liberal, traditionalist or progressive. The algorithms of the media lock people into bubbles in which we speak to the likeminded. The good and the bad; us and them.

Bruno has pointed out in his new book that this is exactly how the Cathars thought. Everything was black and white. There was the good God and the bad god. The pure and the impure. Dominic’s preaching began in calling them out of these mental prisons into the spacious creation of the One God who made everything. We need a Master today who prevents the Order from fragmenting into parties, and who loves the spacious truth of Catholicism.

The gospels said that disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. All of our preaching springs from that joy. Without joy, we are wasting our time. May the Lord give us a joyful Master.

Incorrect information about the price of cherries

This post has been taken down. The information was inaccurate. Apologies to readers and Lidl

'The Irish Catholic' sneers at the EU yet again

Why is the far-right wing of the Catholic Church so opposed to the European Union?

There is an article in the current issue of The Irish Catholic attacking the EU and especially the person nominated to the the next President of the European Commission.

There are inaccuracies in the article and it would have been helpful had The Irish Catholic spelt Ursula von der Leyen's name correctly.

Filipino elected Master of Dominican Order

Filipino Gerard Francisco Parco Timoner has been elected the new Master of the Dominican Order.

He was elected yesterday at a meeting of the Dominicans in Bien Hoa, Vietnam.

Fr Timoner has been a member of the International Theological Commission since 2014 when he was appointed by Pope Francis.

Last year he was appointed assistant to the Master of the Order for the Asia-Pacific Dominican region.

Gerard is a former provincial of the Dominican Province in the Philippines.

In an address after his election yesterday in Vietnam he called on the Dominican family to be in communion and to talk with one another, to overcome differences, and agree, "and once we have agreed, I think that it is my job, to be the first among brothers to say, 'We should do what we have set to do'."

Speaking those words as the new Master of the Order, Gerard is most welcome in Ireland.

His words sound prophetic and could be most helpful in the Irish Province where there is close to no communication and little open and honest talking. And any communication that does exist is within factional cliques.

As the Dominican meeting takes place in Vietnam the Irish province receives no daily briefings of what is taking place or being discussed in Bien Hoa.

The new Dominican boss is 51 and is the 87th successor to St Dominic.

Céad Mīle Fáilte to Ireland Gerard. And visit the province as soon as possible please. See and hear for yourself.

Councils have little or no regard for cyclists

These two potholes, within 50 metre of each other, are at Dartry Cottages.

They are larger than they may seem in the pictures.

And then Dublin City Council and all the  councils give such lip service to the environment and how  healthy it is to cycle.

Words are cheap and cycling is dangerous.

Split between Burke and Bannon

Frederic Martel in his book  In The Closet of the Vatican  is merciless in his treatment of Cardinal Raymond Burke, whom he describes as 'unstraight'.

He writes: " Raymond Burke is one of those figures who distorts Catholicism: an effeminate, ultra-conservative creature who criticises the feminisation of the Church, and who is, in my view, profoundly ridiculous. Those who defend him do not serve the Church: they value pastice and fakery."

The current issue of The Tablet reports that Burke and Bannon, who have been close allies up to recently, have fallen out.

'Alive' is tabloid journalism at its worst

The two pieces below are from the current issue of the free-sheet 'Alive'.

The first excerpt is sneering at those who believe in climate change and it is also sneering at the Vatican.

The second piece is tabloid journalism at its worst. Pope is the name of the priest.

That 'Alive' has charity status and therefore is eligible to claim tax back on subscriptions has to be a scandal.

That the Irish Dominican Province is associated with this far-right newspaper is another scandal.

The disclaimer at the bottom of the cover page is insulting.

Also, who is the editor of the free-sheet? It is important that readers know who edits 'Alive'.

Ms Kenny's 'fake news' on the railway

A tweet from Mary Kenny. It reads: "Ireland needs more TRAINS. They are so full you can't get a ticket any more."

Irish Rail is in the process of buying new rolling stock. But like most generalisations, Ms Kenny's tweet is not accurate and it contains a non sequitur.

There were capacity issues at the weekend but Ms Kenny jumps from a specific situation and unwisely applies it to the entire system during ordinary weekday services.

Her tweet is symptomatic of the era of 'fake news'.