It could just be dismissed as the grumpy prejudiced ramblings of a soon to retire old bishop. It is however a very dangerous stance for a bishop to take. Bishop Henderson, who was an Auxilliary in Southwark once said to me, "As a Bishop I am supposed to love the unloveable, tolerate the intolerable." He could have added, "even with heresy I am supposed to be light handed, trying to win back rather than condemn and cut off".
With his words Archbishop Conti has put a cordon around diocese cutting it off from a great deal of contemporary thought and study. He has also said that his personal prejudices are more important than the Church's law, which presumably indicates to his priests that they are free to impose their own prejudices on the faithful. Ultimately it means that under Archbishop Conti Glasgow is lawless. The impression given is that Glasgow is ruled by prejudice or whim of Archbishop Conti, not the Church's law.
Recently I was talking to an older parish priest, whose health wasn't that good, who said that he felt his own Bishop wished he would just die in order to put someone more of the Bishops mind into his parish. That is pretty worrying, every priest has right to expect that he is fully supported by his Bishop if he acts within the law. I suspect that is not what this particular Bishop really thinks but it is terrible indictment of a Bishop's failure to be a real "Father in God" to all his priests.
A Bishop has every right to his prejudices but no right to express them, especially as function is to hold all in communion, to gather into one. It is the wolf who scatters the Lord's flock the Good Shepherd gathers them,
to love the unloveable, tolerate the intolerable.
Let us pray that with the appointment of the new Bishop of Aberdeen change is on the way.
17 comments:
Who is that sitting to his right. Looks like a women priestess to me. Does Archbishop Conti authorize ordained woman as well?. Does he think he can do as he pleases. Would appreciate further clarification on who that is sitting on his right.
I understand the response of one reader to the blog on this issue in the newspaper that first aired the subject.
"Can't you guys find somewhere else to talk about your fancy dress parties and not within the pages of a national newspaper?"
"...change is on the way..."
It already is.
Our Mother put those words in your heart.
Let them be words of warning to other Padres that are afraid to speak out.
We lay people will keep praying for you.
Santa María de Guadalupe Esperanza nuestra, salva nuestra patria y conserva nuestra Fe.
Our Lady of Guadalupe, our hope, save our country and conserve our faith.
*
Is that a priestess to the right of the Archbishop??
My own experience has been that when it comes to liturgy or orthodoxy or even administration, those in power in the diocese are quite ready to disregard their own rules and guidelines, liturgical law and the Church's Canon Law as well. This leaves the ordinary priest with no support and nowhere to turn unless he wants to take up the long struggle and hire a canon lawyer in Rome. I have the name and number of an excellent one, should anyone feel the need.
Thank you Father.
Does anyone else, looking at that photograph which Father has included, have difficulty accepting that the vested person seated on the bishop's right is a man?
Perhaps it is a good thing that Archbishop Conti has issued this ad cleram as one of his last actions before he retires. It may serve to guarantee that his successor has more moderate views.
Sounds like the Diocese is being run by a mafia of some kind. Are horse heads found in the bed of Priests who express a desire to celebrate the TLM?
It's a man, folks - I think I recognise him from His Grace's previous see. Let's not get sidetracked... ;-)
Bª
Thank you Father for standing up for your fellow priests and for us flock in the face of bishops who don't seem to give a damn.
Poor old Arch Conti has just got ever more uppity, believing in his own importance, ever since leaving Aberdeen and coming to Glasgow. Now, though, Mario it's "Time to say Goodbye......" Go and tend your roses and let a true Pastor, united with Peter, tend the long-suffering flock.............
A lately retired member of the E&W Bishops' Conference, somewhat orthodox in outlook, refused to allow an iconic, but liability of, church to be taken over by Traditionalists. The reason: It would be detrimental, due to drawing people from other parishes and, therefore, affecting their viability/income. Out of the mouths .......... .
What do you do with a priest of a certain persuasion, put him in a parish with a low income and unprepossessing church. As it happens, which he turns into a real church.
To adapt a well-known saying, "Hell hath no fury like a would-be cardinal scorned". Sounds like he hasn't got over the shock of the red hat going to the other side of the M8 - where orthodoxy now reigns.
Pity, really, as he is apparently quite orthodox himself in other areas, and I'm sure he himself has celebrated the EF on occasions in the past.
The situation in Scotland's other main city, some 50 miles to the east is very different, thanks be to God!
I fear that more than one Scottish prelate has taken as his episcopal motto, 'You'll have had your tea.'
Not the usual hairstyle of someone who went to a traditional Catholic School but anybody from Brighton would recognise that that person is Male.
"You'll have had your TLM"!
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