This week’s Mediahuis Irish regional newspapers’ column.
Michael Commane
On the first week after his return from a few days off air Oliver Callan was making jokes about the Vatican.
Maybe they were not jokes but at one stage he referred to the Vatican as being an ‘enclave of total corruption, and the largest homophobic organisation in the world’. And just as he said it I stopped what I was doing and found myself agreeing and disagreeing with him.
What he said was hurtful to many people. I felt hurt. Imagine if he were to say that about the Anglican Communion, Judaism, the Muslim faith, any religious organisation under the sun, indeed any company, corporation, any grouping? There would be an immediate outcry and no doubt he would have had to apologise.
At the time of writing RTÉ has made no comment whatsoever about what Oliver Callan said. And that’s typical too. If there had been an outcry and the general consensus had been that what he said was inappropriate and wrong, no doubt RTÉ would be out there wiping off their crocodile tears.
Oliver has no idea whatsoever if the Vatican is the largest homophobic organisation in the world. Does he know every single organisation in the world? One could argue that he has defamed the Vatican. His comments could indeed make it to the courts.
Two days later on the Claire Byrne Show the country was told about the cancellation of a gay choir, singing in St Andrew’s Church on Dublin’s Westland Row, the church that the archbishop had planned to designate a cathedral. Those plans were dropped and there are plans afoot to give it the title basilica.
Difficult to know what that was all about.
Claire Byrne spoke with Patrick McNamara of the Dublin Gay Men’s Chorus about the cancellation of the choral performance in St Andrew’s. He said the arrangement was made over the phone in April and then on June 11 the parish contacted him to say the concert could not take place in St Andrew's.
What is it about the Catholic Church that when it comes to spreading the Word of God it seldom if ever can gets across its message in a manner which is people-friendly?
Also what would be wrong or distasteful in a gay choir singing in a Catholic church? As Mr McNamara said, they had on a previous occasion sung in St Teresa’s parish church in Dublin’s Donore Avenue.
What’s going on, what’s happening with the message of the Gospel?
I remember when I was a young man a woman was refused absolution. She left the church and called to the priory and asked to speak with a priest. The prior came down to her. She explained what happened.
They both went back to the church and he administered the Sacrament to the woman.
When it comes to many topical issues the Catholic Church seems right now to be at sea. I keep getting the impression it is constantly talking out of both sides of its mouth at the same time.
Maybe that’s why when I heard Oliver Callan say what he said I was agreeing and disagreeing with him.
No comments:
Post a Comment