Another awful date to remember

On this date, February 15, 1941 the Nazi government in Vienna began to deport Austrian Jews to concentration camps in Poland.

The word 'professional' might need a health warning tag

Yesterday a colleague referred to someone as a 'professional victim'. It's not a complimentary term, nevertheless it does have meaning.

Is it possible, it is exactly that that happens/damages so many priests, in that they become 'professional moralists', with all its connotations?

Using the gentlest of words in mentioning God's name

Is the Catholic Church serious in preacing the Gospel to the world in which it finds itself?

Is it interested in talking to people in a language that makes sense and is understood by all?

Or is it more interested in glorifying in its own words and thinking that in all cases and circumstances it knows best?

Surely if the Gospel is to be engaging and authentic it has at all times to be sensitive to the needs and beliefs of others.

Pope's retirement is sure to benefit newspaper sales

In an article in yesterday's Guardian an argument was made that Pope Benedict had come to realise how unruly the Curia was and that he felt it was time for a younger, more energetic man take over the Petrine office.

One is tempted to ask what control or real power Benedict had when it came to the day-to-day running of the Vatican. What influence did he have in the making of appointments?

In yesterday's Irish Times Vincent Browne wrote a critical column on the church. Had a Catholic priest written the column would he be censored? And if so, why?

Remembering the bombing of Dresden

Today the city of Dresden recalled the bombing of the city, which began 68 years ago on February 13, 1945.

Allegations of slave labour at Amazon

If the latest allegations against Amazon are proved to be true then it is time for everyone who buys books from the company to think again.

The current allegations centre around the Amazon warehouse at Bad Hersfeld in Germany.

It is said that staff are paid low wages, their accommodation is constantly under surveillance.

The majority of the workers come from Poland, Spain and eastern Europe.

A terrible story of modern-day slavery.

Tension between local authority and central control

  Arcbishop Charles Brown lays hands on Bishop Billy Crean
in the cathedral in Cobh. Bishop Crean 's will be the last
episcopa ordination in Ireland during the
pontificate of Pope Benedict.

The column below appears in this week's INM Irish regional newspapers.

By Michael Commane

My clothes were washed by ‘Magdalenes’. When we were religious novices our laundry was sent out to a Magdalene Laundry. Is it good enough for me to say I had no idea about what was going on? It’s exactly the sort of thing so many Germans said about what happened between 1933 and 1945.

But why were the ‘superiors’ in convents and priories, and bishops all over the country not speaking out about what was going on. It’s never good enough to say that they were different times.

Did you know that up until late in the 20th century many women religious congregations were under the authority of the diocesan bishop? Believe it or not, but congregations such as the Mercy Sisters came under the jurisdiction of the bishop in the diocese in which they worked.

In this column last week I offered a quick explanation about certain aspects of how the Catholic Church works and how it is organised.

Did you know that in Ireland up until the early part of the 20th century parish priests had a vote in the appointment of a diocesan bishop? With the revision of the Code of Canon Law in 1917 this changed.

Today in some countries the State authorities are consulted on the appointment of bishops.

If one reads the ‘L’Osservatore Romano’, which is the official newspaper of the Vatican, the reader will see the episcopal appointments made by the pope. But not even the pope could personally know all the world’s bishops. Yes, the pope probably gives his approval to episcopal appointments but the decision has been made long before the pope signs any piece of paper.

From time to time the papal nunciature in Dublin circulates a form to diocesan priests asking them to draw up a short list of priests that they think are suitable to be made a bishop. The form also goes to a select number of priests, who are not diocesan priests, that is, priests in religious congregations and orders who are considered to be ‘wise men’. All that material is collated and compiled.

Whether any of that information is taken into account I don’t know. But whatever happens, and I have never yet met anyone who knows the exact procedure, the papal nuncio in Dublin sends a ‘terna’, three names, to the Congregation for Bishops and it is they who make the choice and recommend someone to the pope. Or they reject the ‘terna’ and ask the nuncio to come up with three different names.

The papal nuncio is the person the Holy See accredits to a country. The current papal nuncio/ambassador in Ireland is Archbishop Charles Brown. Most papal nuncios come from the Holy See’s diplomatic service but Archbishop Brown is something of an exception as he was not in the Vatican diplomatic service. Before taking up his current post he was working in the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF).

There is always talk within church circles as to whether the appointment of diocesan bishops should be more transparent and whether or not the local church should have a bigger say in such appointments.

The Vatican Council, which began 50 years ago last year, placed an emphasis on giving local churches more control. As in all organisations, there is always tension between local authority and central control. The Catholic Church is no exception.

Central control has proved at times in history to have been a positive aspect in the church. But there are also negative sides to it. Central control can make for an authoritarian and autocratic institution. On the other hand, if local churches have too much independence, the organisation can be easily splintered and divided. But one thing is certain, there is always need for dialogue, and open and honest discussion.

Priest expert sheds light on pope

A Benedictine priest, an expert this evening said of Pope Benedict: "He was the first pope to tweet".

'Wir waren Papst'

Maybe Pope Benedict grew tired of all the nonsense and sycophancy, which surrounds his office.

In the next days there will be no shortage of bishops, archbishops and experts, who will express the wisdom and correctness of the resignation of Pope Benedict.

Had Pope Benedict made a statement today expressing his decision to stay on as pope, the same bishops and archbishops would most likely be appearing on the media expressing the wisdom and correctness of his decision to stay on as pope.

Is there any significance on the date and time of his resignation, February 28, 20.00?

Peter Seewald's books on Pope Benedict are impressive and inspiring works on the German pope.

On the day of his election, Bild Zeitung ran the headline 'Wir sind Papst'

Guten Rutsch in die Rente.

Polish Dominican priest speaks nonsense

In the current issue of 'The Irish Catholic' there is an article titled 'Why not women priests?' by Francis X Rocca.

In the article he quotes the Dominican, Fr Wojciech Giertych, the theologian of the papal household.

"Men are more likely to think of God in terms of philosophical definitions and logical syllogisms, a quality fullfilling a priest's duty to transmit Church teaching."

Elsewhere he is quoted as saying that men love the church in a characteristically 'male way' when they show concern "about structures, about the buildings of the church, about the roof of the church which is leaking, about the bishops' conference, about the concordat between the church and the state".

Is it possible the man said this? If he did is it not an insight into a way of thinking that is nothing other than humbug and nonsense.

It would be interesting to know when last Fr Giertych was up on a church roof fixing tiles.

Will anyone in the church challenge this man for saying such nonsense.

Schönborn has to have a fighting chance

Will the Archbishop of Vienna be the next pope?

Jauch shows a church of diversity

The Gunther Jauch programme this evening returned to discuss the role of the Catholic Church in Germany. It followed on last week's programme.

Oskar Lafontaine, who was for a short time Gerhard Schröder's finance minister, Bishop Hans-Jochen Jaschke from Hamburg and Nikloaus Schneider, a high ranking German Protestant Minister were among the guests. Also on the panel was TV personality Kerner, who is a Catholic.

It was an explosive programme, which showed in amazinlgy clear terms how within the church there are so many different opinions.

The Hamburg bishop came across as a wise and sympathetic man.

Lafontaine admitted to having a portrait of Pope Benedict in his office.

It was reported on the show that Cardinal Meissner of Cologne said during the week that there is currently a 'pogrom-style' attack on the Catholic Church in Germany.

The Hamburg bishop felt that Cardinal Meissner's words were an unfortunate use of language.

An impotant moment in the German church.

Gentle people suffer under tyrants

From 1598 until 1927 it was called Tsaritsin. In 1918 Stalin defended it during the Revolution. It was named after the Soviet dictator in 1927. In 1961 it was renamed Volgograd. Called after two tyrants and one river.

For more than 300 years a wonderful sounding name but centuries of terror.

Many kilometres west a guard at a concentration camp decided who would die and who would live.

Later in a march westwards in 1945 that same guard was part of an SS crew who let a large number or prisoners burn to death in a church.

Some years earlier she had been working with Siemens in Berlin, was offered promotion, saw an ad for the SS, applied and got the job.

She applied for the SS job because she could not read or write and was afraid that through her new job in Siemens it would be discovered that she could not read.

The accidents, the misfortune, the evil of those in charge so often cause and all in the name of some spurious cause. But all to do with their power and control.

Berlinale - Berlin Filmfestival is currently running and last evening RBB showed Der Vorleser - The Reader. Great film, great book. It was followed by 'Enemy at the Gate'.

German minister accused of cheating

The German Education Minister Schavan has resigned.

In the last few weeks there has been a controversy over the minister's doctoral thesis, suggesting that the work was not original.

Her successor, Johanna Wanka, is a mathematician from Saxony.

Chains of slavery or fellowship of love?

Phyllis McMahon from Finglas in Dublin joined the Mercy Sisters in 1952. She worked at one of the now infamous 'Magdalene Laundries'.

She left the congregation before final vows. Later she worked as an actor.

When her Itallian-born husband died the first people she called to convey the news were the Mercy Sisters.

"I spent the most impressionable years of my life there. I just couldn't get away from them, really."

What is it at all?

CIA man admits he does not know the truth

John Brennan, designate head of the Central Intelligence Agency, answered questions during the Senate hearings into his nomination during the week.

At one stage, after protest interuptions, pressed on what he knew and when regarding conflicting accounts about the CIA's treatment of detainees, Brennan responded: "At this point, Senator, I do not know what the truth is."

Clare Daly's turn proves one nil for her

The Clare Daly story, which appeared on this blog on January 31, has now reached a new level of worry and concern.

It transpires that the north county Dublin socialist TD was not over the legal limit while driving her car.

It is a most worrying story and hopefully the Garda Siochana will be able to clarify all aspects of the case.

It is another clear example of how all authority must be watched and monitored in the most minute way possible.

The Latin quote, name dropping and humbug

Trying to say something about the Word of God in the context of the Mass is never an easy task.

There are those who have the grace and the charism, the talent too, to make real the Word of God in the here and now. And no doubt they try to live it.

Unfortunately there are also the scam masters and it sounds so terrible: the holy voice, modulating in such a way that gives the impression of sincerity, even truth at times. And then add to that the Latin quote, which really lets the listener know how knowledgeable the 'preacher' is.

Finish it all off with dollops of quotes from famous people, especially medievals and saints too.

It all adds up to a master class in spectacular humbug.

Really, it's something that should carry a large heatlh warning.

Is that part of the reason why so many people vote with their feet?

A son sends on his mother's poems

The elderly mother of a man, whom I know, died last week. Today he sent me two poems that she had written.

His sending me the poems touched me greatly and so too did the two poems.

Here they are.

Butterfly


When I was just a little girl, a little girl of three

I wished to be a butterfly – so pretty, flying free.

I’d flit among the leaves and sleep among the flowers

For that’s the way a butterfly enjoys the sunny hours.

But soon I got much taller, a happy, laughing girl

There were so many things to see, my brain was in a whirl.

I learnt to dance and then to sing and paly a part on stage,

In all my multi-colour clothes, I felt like all the rage.

Then next I met the only one that brought me true romance.

I knew he was the only one when he asked me up to dance.

And now I folded up my wings and lived a quiet life

I was happier than ever as a mother and a wife.

So if you turn the pages back I think you will agree

That the pretty little butterfly was really only me.


Thoughts on the 4th of July 1985


I lost my independence on Independence Day

But I didn’t really miss it as the years all rolled away,

For our home was full of babies, we were thrilled with every one –

A variety of daughters and a music-loving son.

We had lots of fun together and they made us very happy,

Even though we could have done without the ever-present nappy.

Oh, we had our days of darkness, all our troubles and our fears –

I remember just the best of times – I’ve forgotten all the tears.

There were picnics in the country, sunny days at Brittas Bay,

And schooldays – I remember every concert, every play.

Then the children all grew apace and stayed out after dark,

And neighbours oft were kept awake with larks in Ben Inagh Park.

But there were times when Frank and I could really be alone –

We’d take off on a holiday, just us two on our own.

We’ve lingered in the Louvre and sipped a glass of Rhenish wine,

Shared a gondola in Venice, thought that Malta was divine.

We’ve marvelled at Pompeii and we’ve strolled the streets of Rome.

It was great away together, but we gladly travelled home.

Oh, I’m never never lonely, for my children’s friends are mine

And now my children’s children little arms around me twin.

Minister for Justice shatters grammar rules

Minister for Justice Alan Shatter wrote a column in Tuesday's Irish Daily Star.

Paragraph four of the article reads: "He has also never wrote to or emailed my department of made any representation to me about this issue".

Priest talks of 'losers and no-hopers'

In a Dublin church on Monday evening a priest referred to an article he had written in which he had called atheists 'losers and no-hopers'.

A quick look at the workings of the Catholic Church

The Latin word 'veritas' means truth.

The piece below appears in this week's Independent News and Media Irish regional newspapers.

By Michael Commane

Late in January I climbed Djouce Mountain in the Wicklow Hills with a friend of mine and a colleague of his. Coming down the mountain my friend’s colleague asked me what kind of a priest I was. It stopped me in my track, as you could take the question in many ways.

What the man wanted to know was whether or not I was a member of a congregation/order or a diocesan priest. He was also interested to know how orders differ from each other.

Some days earlier at work a colleague suggested I should write a column explaining the different sorts of priests there are. My whimsical reply to him was that there is no end to that story.

There are 22 dioceses and four archdioceses in Ireland. The archdioceses are, Armagh, Dublin, Cashel and Emly, and Tuam. In each of the archdioceses there is an archbishop. The current archbishop in Armagh is a cardinal.

While all 22 dioceses are loosely associated with an archdiocese, bishops and archbishops are independent of each other. Archbishops and bishops are members of the Irish Episcopal Conference.

Every diocese in Ireland has direct access to the sea and that’s for historical reasons.
Every diocese is divided into parishes, which are usually administered by a parish priest, who may have a curate or a number of curates. All these appointments are made by the diocesan bishop.

That’s all clear so far but add to the equation religious orders and congregations and the matter gets that little bit more complicated.

In Ireland, as in most countries where the Catholic Church has a tradition, there are large numbers of religious orders and congregations.

Priests who are members of religious orders are not answerable to a bishop, instead they report to their local ‘superior’ (not a word I like). Most congregations/orders call their national superior a provincial. This was an issue during the Fr Brendan Smyth crisis in 1994. Smyth was a member of the Norbertine Order. Because he was a member of an order it seems he was able to fly below the radar of ecclesial authority. Whether he did or not, it was an argument the church used. You might call it a damage limitation job.

Many orders and congregations, both women and men, run post primary schools in Ireland. None of these schools is in any way responsible to a local bishop. There are also many churches in Ireland, which are not parish churches, run by orders and congregations and these churches do not come under the influence or authority of a local bishop.

While all the various and different religious orders and congregations will talk and write about their unique charism or mission, I think it’s fair to say that there is a great blur in how one institute differs from another. Maybe it’s best of all to say that there are historical differences that separate many of the orders and congregations. Yes, it’s clear to say that the Cistercians live a different lifestyle to the Jesuits. But I’m sure most people who go to church would not be too informed as to how the Dominicans differ from the Augustinians or the Franciscans.

Now to add even more to the confusion: a practice has grown up in Ireland and the universal church that bishops invite orders and congregations to help them out in the running of the diocese. And this is usually done by asking a religious order or congregation to take over the running of a parish. And once that happens then the men running the parish are answerable to the local bishop.

That’s what it sounds like in theory. But nothing is ever as simple as that. What happens if a priest, who is not under the authority of a bishop, says or does something out of order?

As in all human relations, people try to solve things in an amicable and reasonable way. But when that does not work what happens? You got it in one? The Catholic Church is centrally organised and controlled. If there is a local dispute it finds its way to the religious/congregational superiors and bishops. If that fails it goes to the papal nuncio, who is the Vatican’s representative in Ireland, who is also the doyen of the diplomatic corps. If that does not solve the problem, then the person is in trouble and someone at the Vatican will be in touch.

Have you noticed I have not said a word about the distinction between religious orders and congregations? Nor have I said a word about women’s congregations. And did you know there is a difference between sisters and nuns. And not a word about how bishops are appointed. Not yet.

Enough for this issue.

Inaudible lecture in arctic conditions

Is there any purpose holding a lecture in a cold venue where the lecturer cannot be clearly and easily heard in all parts of the building?

It seems there is confusion in Cologne

What exactly has Cardinal Meissner said about the Caritas hospital case controversy?

Church shredders hard at work

The current controversy in Germany between criminologist Christian Pfeiffer and the German Bishops Conference yet again paints a most unattractive image of the institutional Catholic Church.

Add the latest news of the cover up in the US Catholic Church to the German story, one is left with a worrying reality.

The subject matter is the criminal sexual behaviour of priests and the subsequent cover ups.

Is it not iroinc than an organisation which never stops talking about what it sees as sexual misdemeanours is alledged to be engaged in criminal behaviour in covering up the criminal sexual behaviour of its priests?

The Irish Lifers

On Thursday evening RTE One screened 'The Lifers'. It is the story of three Irish people working in Brazil, Papua New Guinea and South Sudan. Two priests and one sister.

Pat Murray, a Loreto sister, who taught in a number of Loreto schools in Dublin before going to South Sudan, spoke of the extreme poverty in the newly formed South Sudan.

The sister and two priests exemplified the real worth of what it means to be a sister, priest ot brother. And put the likes of me to shame. It also puts in perspective so much church behaviour.

The programme was part-funded by Denis O'Brien.

Bishop of Ros Cré

New bishop of Dresden-Meissen, Heiner Koch, is titular bishop of Ros Cré.

Russia celebrates a great day

Major parade today in Moscow to celebrate the victory of February 2, 1943. An old T 34, which served in Stalingrad was rolled out for the parade.

And just for the day, the city reverted to its former name of Stalingrad.

In the evening Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed a large gathering of people in the city where he spoke about the bravery and unity of all those who fought on the Volga.

Media silence on famous day

It seems there is not a word today in the Irish media to recall or commemorate the day 70 years ago that Field Marshal Paulus surrendered to the Soviet Army in Stalingrad/Volgograd.

Probably the most significant day in destroying Germany and freeing Europe of such evil.

That there is no media coverage is another example how all media tend to 'write in packs'.

We always think our way is best

The piece below is the Thinking Anew column in today's Irish Times.

By Michael Commane
The hostage-taking at the In Amenes gas facility in Algeria attracted the word’s media attention. While Western leaders blamed the attack on terrorists, there was an undertow among Western commentators that the rescue operation by the Algerian authorities was somewhat ham-fisted. It seemed as if far too many innocent lives were lost during the rescue operation.

However Tom Cloonan, a former Irish army officer and security expert has commented that the number of innocent lives lost in Algeria was proportionately less than the number of innocent people lost in the siege at the Iranian embassy in London in 1980. Mr Cloonan pointed out that, at the time, the Western world considered the London rescue operation to be an example of how such operations should be conducted.

His comments set me thinking about how we all surround ourselves with a world we think is right and good. And to confirm that idea, only this week at work, I heard a colleague say that her county in Ireland was the best place in the country. Of course she was half-joking. With last year’s All-Ireland victory it was understandable why she was tempted to say what she said. We all do that sort of thing. Could we survive at all if we did not have competition and rivalry?

However, when one group of people, when a society, a people, a country believe that they are better and do things better than others just because of who they are, surely we are entering very dangerous territory.

In tomorrow’s Gospel, Jesus tells his listeners that there is a universality about the Word of God and that people would be making a terrible mistake to think that they know which people God is going to favour.

At first, when he expressed ideas that they liked, and with which they agreed, he was the “flavour of the month”, but once he moved away from their stereotypical way of thinking, they wanted to take him out and throw him over the cliff.

Jesus sees exactly what is happening and says to them: “No prophet is honoured in his own country.” (Luke 4: 24)

We are bound and tempered by our surroundings, the schools we attend, the places where we work, the countries in which we live. It is the challenge of a lifetime never to become hostage to our surroundings or the times in which we live. The Dominican saint Thomas Aquinas suggests that when someone speaks we should be more concerned with what is said than the person saying it.

It has been one of the great spin-offs of modern travel that people get to experience other cultures in remote places and in doing so realise that the people living there are not demons. How many people spend time in far flung countries and come home so enthused with what they have seen and learned?

As a young man, for years I heard, read and saw on television that the people of Vietnam were capable of doing the most evil of things. They did but so too did their attackers. These days people come back from Vietnam singing the praises of the country and the charm of its people.

It’s dangerous to say we are special because we are Irish or British or American. We believe we are special because each one of us is unique. As Christians we believe that each one of us has been made in the image and likeness of God. We believe that the Word of God has universal meaning throughout history and is not exclusively bestowed on any one group or society.

Far too much wrong, far too much mayhem has been caused in the world in the false belief that ‘we’ are stronger and better and superior to ‘them’.

Those listening to Jesus grew indignant to what he was saying and their solution was “to throw him down the hill”. (Luke 4: 29)

Of course that is never the solution; it wasn’t then and isn’t now.

Chancellor Merkel warns against the elites

"The rise of National Socialism was possible because the elites and parts of German society particiapted, but above all, because most in Germany tolerated this rise," words spoken by Angela Merkel on Wednesday at the opening of a new exhibition, 'Berlin 1933 - Path to Dictatorship'.

The exhibition opening coincided with the 80 anniversary of the coming to power of Adolf Hitler.

Frau Merkel went on to say how it took the Nazis just six months after taking office to dismantle the Weimar Republic's democratic structures.

"Human rights and freedom don't defend themselves. A society with a human face needs people to have respect and responsibility for each other and who are ready to accept criticism," she said.

The German Chancellor mentioned the elites.

Krupp supplied the ammunition. Mercedes presented Hitler with a new car every year. The pharmaceutical companies Bayer, BASF and Hoechst are new post war names for IG Farben. IG Farben provided the gas for the concentration camps.

That Frau Merkel used the word 'elites' is significant.

How easilty we team people into winners and losers. For some absurd reason the 'winners' always get preferential treatment, the 'losers' dismissed and shunned.

It is worth noting that 70 years ago tomorrow, against all the odds, against the belief of Mercedes, IG Farben ( Bayer, Hoechst, BASF) the so-called losers accepted the unconditional surrender of Paulus' Sixth Army on the Volga.

The 'losers', Hitler's 'inferior beings', had routed Germany's 'elite' army.

Maybe the moral for all of us is always and ever to be on our guard against elites, whoever they are wherever they may appear. They can be so slick and cunning.

For far too long the West has underplayed the heroic victory of the Soviet Army in Stalingrad/Volgograd.

On February 3, 1943 under the genius of Marshal General Gerogii Zhukov world history was changed.

It took another two full years for the Germans to realise that the 'losers' were the 'winners'.