Duirt bean liom go nduirt bean lei.....

Duirt bean liom go nduirt bean lei.....

NewsTalk interviewed me on the topic of priestly celibacy last week. As novices and students we were told that celibacy gives the priest more time for work. My late father, with no vow of celibacy worked far harder than I ever have.

I pointed out on the programme that I believe that it is easy for priests to be tempted to take it 'easy'. 35 years experience has shown me that. I also said that I have come across priests who work extremely hard.

Some days later I was quoted as having said that 'All Dominicans are lazy'.

Amazing how we give images to people!

Of course I never made such a remark but obviously we give images to people and have to support those images.

The damage that words can do. And strangely enough the motto of the Dominican Order is 'veritas'

My comments on NewsTalk were also said to be 'disloyal'. 'Disloyal' is a dangerous word to use and is so often used to protect an image. I'd be proud to be 'disloyal' to 'clericalism'. Organisations can easily scapegoat the 'disloyal' to protect their own patch or image.

Totalitarianism can never allow any forms of 'disloyalty'. And if that totalitarianism has a direct line to God, then God help us all.