PRIEST -"GOD IS A WOMAN"

God is a woman- Priest who died for 48 minutes claims

Doctors at the Massachussetts General Hospital say that Father O’neal is extremely lucky to be alive, while he is convinced that it is God who sent him back to tell the world who “she” really is 

In Summary

The Archbishop of Boston, Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley, made a public statement this morning stating that Father O’neal suffered hallucinations linked to a near-death experience and that God clearly isn’t a female

A Catholic priest from Massachussetts was officially dead for more than 48 minutes before medics were able to miraculously re-start his heart. During that time, Father John Micheal O’neal claims he went to heaven and met God, which he describes as a warm and comforting motherly figure.

The 71-year old cleric was rushed to the hospital on January 29 after a major heart attack, but was declared clinically dead soon after his arrival. With the aid of a high-tech machine called LUCAS 2, that kept the blood flowing to his brain, doctors at Massachusetts General Hospital managed to unblock vital arteries and return his heart to a normal rhythm.

The doctors were afraid he would have suffered some brain damage from the incident, but he woke up less than 48 hours later and seems to have perfectly recovered.

The elderly man claims that he has clear and vivid memories of what happened to him while he was dead. He describes a strange out-of-body experience, experiencing an intense feeling of unconditional love and acceptance, as well as being surrounded by an overwhelming light.

He claims that at that point in his experience, he went to heaven and encountered God, which he describes as a feminine, mother-like “Being of Light”.

“Her presence was both overwhelming and comforting” states the Catholic priest. “She had a soft and soothing voice and her presence was as reassuring as a mother’s embrace. The fact that God is a Holy Mother instead of a Holy Father doesn’t disturb me, she is everything I hoped she would be and even more!”

The declarations of the cleric caused quite a stir in the catholic clergy of the archdiocese over the last few days, causing the Archbishop to summon a press conference to try and calm the rumors.

Despite the disapproval of his superiors, Father O’neal says that he will continue dedicating his life to God and spread the word of the “Holy Mother”.

“I wish to continue preaching” says the elderly cleric. “I would like to share my new knowledge of the Mother, the Son and the Holy Ghost with all catholics and even all Christians. God is great and almighty despite being a woman…”

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston has not confirmed however, if they will allow Father O’neal to resume his preaching in his former parish in South Boston.

The Archbishop of Boston, Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley, made a public statement this morning stating that Father O’neal suffered hallucinations linked to a near-death experience and that God clearly isn’t a female.

PAT SAYS:

This occurrence in this priest's life is extremely thought provoking for anyone interested in God and about God.

One of the biggest problems we have when it comes to talking about God is that we are trying to grasp mysterious concepts with our limited human intellect and trying to talk about superhuman things in limited human language.

If God is the "Higher Power" and "Supreme Being" he is like us in some ways but totally unlike us in so many other ways.

We are male or female and the Godhead is male, female plus - plus - plus to eternity.

God cannot be limited to human limitations like male or female.

As Christians, we believe that God BECAME man - in the form of Jesus of Nazareth. 

But had God "wanted to" (God does not want) God could have become human in the form of Joahanna of Nazareth?

God did not "decide" to do that. Why? We don't know.

I think the main lesson from this elderly priest's experience is to remind us that in God resides what is best about maleness and femaleness and infinitely more than that.

The cardinal is not happy about Father O'Neal's "hallucinations".

But if Father O'Neal was saying that the God he met was a man and he told him the RC church was the only true church, then Cardinal O'Malley would be describing Father O'Neal's experiences as DIVINE REVELATIONS!

SEX versus REPRESSION

Ireland’s millennials are sexually liberated – and losing their religion

• Irish Independent
• 30 Oct 2017
• Lynne Kelleher

Historian Dr. Ciara Meehan

IRELAND’S younger generation are among the most sexually liberal millennials in Europe – and are losing their religion.

The nation’s young people have given a snapshot of their take on 21st-century life as part of one of the biggest pan-European surveys into the attitudes of more than a million millennials across Europe.

In the two-part RTÉ2 series ‘Generation What?’, Irish millennials answer 149 questions from sex to politics, to media and equality, in the survey of 18 to 34-year-olds in 14 countries.

The Irish were the most likely of all nationalities surveyed to have had sex in a public place – with 55pc saying they have braved the elements to have sex.

The programme-makers suggest the ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ effect could have influenced the 15pc of Irish millennials who said they had tried S&M, which is second only to Greece.

Three out of 10 Irish millennials said they had made love with someone from the same sex, or they would like to.

Sociologist Kevin Myers, who helped analyze the results along with the Department of Sociology in UCD, said the results showed sexual liberal attitudes in young Irish people.

“Among male participants, 78pc answered they wouldn’t be happy without sex. For females, it was a slightly smaller number, at 70pc. We can see that there does seem to be a movement towards much more liberal attitudes to sexual preferences and sex acts in general.

“30pc answered they had made love with someone of the same sex, or they would like to.

“Of this, males were more likely to have made love with someone of the same sex, but women were the ones most likely to want to.

“This does give us the impression that Irish moral attitudes towards sexuality are increasingly liberal.”

Meanwhile, 80pc of young Irish people said they would be happy without a religious belief.

When it came to what community they felt they belonged to, out of eight options, nationality was at the top of the list, with only 7pc saying religion was the most important to them.

Equality

“Belonging to a religious organization didn’t seem to be of particular interest to millennials. It is a common pattern through (countries) in the study,” said Mr. Myers.

Six out of 10 millennials agreed that Ireland is still a long way from gender equality – but this figure was split into more than two-thirds of women, but less than half of men.

Dr. Ciara Meehan, an expert in modern Irish history, said several key factors have influenced the minds of this generation. “I think a lot of the big changes date back to the 1990s. If you think about the legalization of divorce, the decriminalization of homosexuality, the election of Mary Robinson as the first female President of Ireland, and the Good Friday Agreement,” she said.

“This millennial crop is the first to be completely immersed in digital and social media, and as a result of that they are much more globalized citizens than previous generations.”

PAT SAYS:

This latest survey is both interesting and informative.

In my opinion, the current situation with regard to young people, religion, and sex is far healthier than thing were when I was growing up in Ireland in the 60s and 70s.

I was not alone in suffering greatly from the sex-obsessed Catholic Ireland in which we lived.

I was troubled by sexual repression for the 20 years between puberty and my mid 30s and I found all those years a pure agony. I was running to Confession every few days confession "impure thoughts" and "impure actions" and being quizzed by priests as to the exact nature, content etc of my MORTAL sins.

I was made to feel "dirty" and evil and that I was on the road to thousands of years in Purgatory if not Hell itself.

As one priest said to me recently: "Pat, they would not allow us to get rid of our semen and it went to our heads and made us mad"!

I finally resolved all my contradictions and confusions when in my late 30s and early 40s I voluntarily engaged in counseling and therapy and became free of all my past burdens.

Looking back at that painful time in my left - between the ages of 14 and 35 - I have two feelings:

1. Regret at turning down all the various opportunities for personal and sexual intimacy I was offered by nice people.

2. An appreciation of how the self-discipline I exercised (albeit it not always voluntarily) helped me to say NO to situations that might have been "harmful" to myself or others.

Were I to do it all again I think I would have allowed myself to have at least some more happiness and pleasure.

I can at least fantasize about the "only ifs" and "might have beens" :-)

 I really believe that our attitude to sex should be more liberal and permissive.

Of course, I believe that, in sexuality, as in all the areas of our lives, there should be certain basic moral principles. Not using or abusing people is one of those principles.

But I also believe that many a suicide and many a mental breakdown could have been prevented had the victims had access to some sexual intimacy and pleasure.

In many cases, 10 mg of sex may be more effective than 60mg of diazepam or Seroxat!

BALLYRAGGET NONSENSE

BY James Cox 
October 29, 2017

St.Patrick's Ballyragget intermediate hurlers have come to national attention in the last few days after their Kilkenny Intermediate Hurling Championship victory.

Photos and footage of their wild celebrations were widely circulated with two strippers called Fifi and Sabrina at the forefront of the party.

A garda investigation has even been launched, over footage of one of the ladies performing a sex act on a Ballyragget player.

The club insists it was a private event, a 21st birthday party for one of the players. The Kilkenny County board have still launched their own investigation though.

If you thought the scandal couldn't get any more Irish, it just has.

Fr.Tommy Murphy, of St Patrick’s Church in Ballyragget has had his say.

Speaking to the Irish Independent, he said a "scar" had been left on the community.

“Unfortunately, Ballyragget is now in the papers for all the wrong reasons. It leaves a scar on the community.

“I’m just sorry that it ever happened. What was a grand occasion has really been spoiled? I hope this is a lesson learned.”

Fr.Murphy added that there could be a positive outcome though.

He has offered confession to anyone involved in the scandal.

"I don't think there's going to be a rush to confessions but if anyone wants to talk about it, I would be very glad to talk to them. There is salvation at the end of this."

PAT SAYS:

FOR GOD'S SAKE WHY IS THIS STORM IN A TEACUP MAKING NATIONAL NEWS IN IRELAND FOR DAYS AND DAYS???

A 21st-century young Irish man celebrating his 21st birthday get drunk with a few friends in a rural pub and two adult women come along (paid or unpaid ???) and do a strip act.

AND THE GARDAI ARE INVESTIGATING !!!!!!

There were no minors present or involved!

No sexual crime took place!

Nobody was forced to be present and nobody was raped!

And the stupid bloody priest wants the young men and women to come to Confession to him and receive FORGIVENESS and SALVATION!!!

We all know that parties involving young men and women - especially at the periphery of football - can be sexually charged.

We all know - that whether or not the Catholic Church likes it or not - most young Irish people engage in premarriage and extramarital sex.

It's not as if any of them were married with vows.

It's not as if any of them were priests or nuns with vows of chastity.

And of those making a song and dance about it all _

How many of them were married and sleeping with their secretaries on the night in question?

How many priests in Ireland were having sex with men and women that night - in their presbyteries or in night clubs and saunas?

Of course, I believe in the Christian IDEALS about sexuality happening in the context of love and commitment.

BUT does Ireland not have bigger moral problems than the Balltragget pub party:

- The homeless sleeping on the streets of Dublin?

- Families being thrown out of their homes by ruthless bankers?

- People living below the poverty line?

WHY IS IT THAT WE IRISH STILL THINK THAT THE GREATEST MORAL ISSUE IN OUR COUNTRY IS SEX???

DOWN AND CONNOR INTRODUCES MILITARY RANKS

WITH POPE FRANCIS BANNING ANY PRIEST UNDER 65 FROM BEEN APPOINTED A MONSIGNOR - BISHOP NOEL TREANOR OF DOWN AND CONNOR IS INTRODUCING ARMY, NAVY ANS AIRFORCE RANKS FOR PRIESTS.

Bishop Treanor's first such appointment has been to appoint the Diocesan Chancellor - Father Eugene O'Hagan - to the rank of MAJOR GENERAL.

Here BELOW - is The Very Rev Major General O'Hagan after been presented with his new commission at St Peter's Cathedral, Belfast, during a Pontifical Mass yesterday afternoon.

VERY REV MAJOR GENERAL O' HAGAN

M G O Hagan is the first appointee in the world to the new clerical military ranks.

Bishop Treanor himself is to be the the 4 star General Noel Treanor.

At yesterday's ceremony, Bishop Treanor spoke about other possible ranks for D&C clergy.

He outlined the possibility of the following ranks:

REAR ADMIRAL.

VICE MARSHALL.

PETTING OFFICERS.

ABLE BODIED SEAMEN.

Clerical rumour has it that the following priests are in line for promotion:

Rev. Fr Ciaran Dallat- Maghaberry Prison - to be Chief Petting Officer.

V. Rev Fr Hugh Kennedy KM ( On 2nd Sabbatical) to be - Rear Admiral.

V Rev J Donaghy to be brought back as Acting Vice Marshall.

V Rev T  Bartlett to be ( August 2018) - Regimental Colonel - 69th Grovellers.


We will bring you news of any further appointments as they arise.

Meanwhile a D&C priest has sent us the following puzzle to think on:

Q; WHY ARE CANON LAW DEGREES LIKE ASSHOLES?

A: BECAUSE EVERYONE HAS ONE.

ANYONE OUT THERE LIKE TO MATCH RANKS ETC TO CLERICS???

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KEEPING UP OUR "FUN" DAY

ANOINTING KING PUCK

A BLOG READER HAS CLAIMED THAT DEACON SEAN "KING PUCK" JONES OF KERRY IS TO BE ORDAINED A PRIEST ON NOVEMBER 12TH BY BISHOP XRAY BROWNE?

In July 2016 Ray Browne made the following statement:

In the past nine months five priests of our diocese have died, may they Rest in Peace. All were retired and of a good age and had given long years of great faith-filled service. Last year three priests of our diocese retired having passed the age of 75. This year one priest retires on this ground. At the moment three of our priests are coping with long-term serious ill-health.

Within the next year, God willing, Sean Jones will be ordained a priest for the diocese. It will be exactly ten years since our last priestly ordination. Just one priest of our diocese is under forty. Thankfully we have four other students preparing for priesthood. I ask that we all continue to pray for these students and for vocations to the priesthood in the diocese.

According to XRay's own statement, he intended ordaining King Puck before July 2017.

It's now October 2017 - months after the intended ordination date???

There had to be SOME SERIOUS REASON for Browne to put back the ordination of King Puck.

After all, as Browne himself says, Kerry has not had an ordination for 10/11 years.

Browne would be itching to ordain a priest for Kerry.

There are other unanswered questions too:

1. Why did King Puck leave - or was asked to leave - a religious order before becoming a Kerry seminarian?

2. Why did he spend a number of years as a lay student in Maynooth in between the religious order and joining Kerry diocese?

3. Why has Deacon Jones or Kerry Diocese never denied that the picture below is of King Puck?

When I asked the bishop's secretary in Kerry about the photograph he did not say it was not King Puck.

Rather, he said it was "UNCHRISTIAN" of me to publish it?

Could it be that XRay wanted the fuss to die down for 18 months before ordaining Puck?

And could it be that XRay is giving us all the "two finger salute" and telling us that we ordinary mortals have no right to question THE LORD BISHOP OF KERRY?

The Rite of Ordination to the priesthood includes the following:

Presentation of the Candidate

12.  When the candidate is in his place before the bishop, the priest designated by the bishop says: 

Most Reverend Father, holy mother Church asks you to ordain this man, our brother, for service as priest.

The bishop says: Do you judge him to be worthy?

He answers: After inquiry among the people of Christ and upon the recommendation of those concerned with his training, I testify that he has been found worthy.

Has XRay taken note of what the PEOPLE OF CHRIST might think???

Do we know where the proposed ordination is taking place - the cathedral, a parish church or at a secret location.

Will anyone be there to raise an objection on behalf of THE PEOPLE OF GOD?

Diocese refuses to comment on Kerry Seminarians

By

 radiokerrynews

 -

9th October 2017

The Diocese of Kerry has refused to comment on the decision to end the training of three Kerry seminarians

One trainee priest had been in training for six years while the other two had five years completed.

The three Kerry seminarians were told by the Director of Faith Formation at St Patrick’s College in Maynooth in May that they would not be allowed to continue their journey to the priesthood.

It’s understood that the decision would have been taken in consultation with the Bishop of Kerry, Dr Ray Browne.

Just six seminarians entered training for the priesthood in Maynooth this year;  the lowest number since the college was founded.

There is one Kerry seminarian at Maynooth and another man from the county is undertaking a pre-seminary year.

Last year the Archbishop of Dublin, Dr  Diarmuid Martin removed his seminarians from Maynooth and sent them to Rome to complete their training.

In July last year, Bishop Browne stated that a deacon in Kerry would be ordained within the year, becoming the first priest from Kerry ordained in a decade and that four men from the diocese were in training for the priesthood.

To date, the deacon has not been ordained.

Knocknagoshel became the sixth parish in Kerry to lose its fulltime priest this year and the Bishop has warned that the day is coming when it will not be possible to have a weekend mass in every church in the diocese.

The diocesan statement says that  the seminarians have a right to privacy and to speak publicly about an individual’s journey for the priesthood seems invasive and inappropriate.

It added that Deacon Sean Jones continues in his full-time ministry as a deacon in the diocese.

DOWN AND CONNOR CLERICAL SALARIES

AN UNNAMED PRIEST OF DOWN AND SENT ME THE FOLLOWING NOTE BY POST:

"23rd October 2017

Dear Pat, As a priest of the dioceses of Down and Connor I can tell you what the income is for diocesan clergy.

Parish priests receive 12 monthly stipends of £ 1,350 per month.

Curates receive £ 1,250 per month, as do chaplains and priests in other ministeries.

None of them receive a Christmas or Easter Stipends. (These are forwarded to the Diocesan Office)

They have free accommodation. heat, light and parish phone.

They pay for their own car, fuel, mobile phone, car insurance and food.

They also pay 20% tax on their annual stipends.

The bishop receives £ 1,950 per month.

I hope this will be published on your web page".

Thank you, Father, for sending me that note which appears quite sincere and accurate to me.

Will you please allow me, and interested readers, to ask some questions?

This means that PP's get an annual income of £16,200 - after tax £  293 per week?

Curates: £ 15,000 - after tax £ 275 per week?

So PP's get £18 per week more than curates.

Bishop Treanor gets £ 23,400 per annum - after tax - or £ 404 per week.

Do parish priests and curates keep the offerings they get for Baptisms, Weddings and Funerals?

Bishop Treanor is an extensive traveller. It's hard to imagine his £ 404 a week covering all his travels? Does he travel economy? Does he use VIP lounges as many bishops do?

For instance who paid for his trip to Zimbabwe - Trocaire?

Does the bishop still get an envelope with cash or a check when he does Confirmations?

Rumours say that this envelope contains £300 or £500 per Confirmation?

I am not claiming this. But it is a perception?

Finally, as the diocese paid for the renovations of Lisbreen, and not Bishop Treanor personally, why can people not be told the cost of renovation?

I understand you too may not be privy to this information.

But it's secrecy has led, and is leading to wild speculation.

It was Co. Tyrone workers on the renovation that allegedly leaked about the £ 250 door knobs and the  £ 100 a roll paper?

Bishop Treanor could stop all this rumour by doing like you did - publish the figures.

Little Brothers of the Oratory

Peace!  It is of the nature of inspired undertakings that they are born of an admixture of dreams, cherished values, divine seduction, chance encounters, lofty and beautiful designs wrought by rusty and broken implements of construction, all brought together by the Kairos of kronos, by divine synchronicity, to become the seed of a cell of the Kingdom of God.

The humble personalities involved in such a venture know that nothing will be accomplished by their own reason and efforts alone, but by the submissive virtue of Jesus Christ.  These ‘little’ ones will be the objects of scorn for their apparent presumption.  Stern prognostications about the dimness of their prospects and the questionable nature of their motivation will be made by blog and via other media.  I don’t care.  The “still, small voice” that calls and inspires is enough to encourage, guide and sustain whatever it is that has to be learned from the mystery of God’s way of touching individual and communal human lives.  We will be grateful for the encouragement and support of those who wish us well and we will not be discouraged by those who would make the Little Brothers of the Oratory into a byword for folly.

Unum Corpus.  ‘One Body’ is a theological, mystical, ecumenical, eschatological, transcendent and immanent reality of what the church is called to be.  Contrary to some liturgical inferences, Christ did not die for “many” but for “all.”  To exclude from this one body those for whom Christ died, is a dismembering, self-inflicted, act of amputation.  It is not for people to decide who does and who does not belong to this body, but our God, who sees and loves in each person what he sees and loves in his own son, whose act of redemption was an invitation for ALL to share the divine life of the Trinity. 

The Little Brothers of the Oratory will not exclude, keep out, deny access to, disbar, prohibit, rule out or preclude anyone from the koinoinia of Christ because of their human imperfection.  What an act of self-righteous arrogance it would be to do so and to deny to others the gift that has been so freely given to all.

Anawim is a Hebrew word that means “the oppressed and outcast who depend on God for deliverance.” Anawimic Theology is that which focuses on the lowliness and oppression of God’s people and on God’s deliverance of them. (1.) Those who suffer for the sake of righteousness, (2.) Those whose vulnerability is taken advantage of by oppressors, and they cry out for help from the Lord and (3.) Those who are punished even though they are innocent and look to the Lord for justice.

The liminality of the poor is not their distinguishing characteristic.  God’s love for the poor tells us more about the nature of God than it does about the poor.  The poor can be as just or as unjust as anyone else, but our God with divine simplicity is attracted to what is weak and vulnerable, just as a mother who loves all of her children equally will appear to be more devoted to the most weak and the most vulnerable among them.

The little Brothers of the Oratory will regard it as an honour, a choice incumbent upon them and a calling, to be numbered among and embrace the anawim of our God.  I have outlined some of what will become the pillars of the Little Brothers (and hopefully Sisters!) of the Oratory, in residence or by spiritual affinity as priests, religious and married and single women and men who live at home, all part of one family.

A lack of precise information can give rise to both speculation and to questions.  There will be a time for that in due course.  Let us get settled in first.  At least wish us well.

Brother Jim

Little Brothers of the Oratory.

PAT SAYS:

The Blog about the new proposed Little Brothers of The Oratory the other day elicited a fair number of negative and cynical comments - not to mention the obnoxious ones that were not published.

Here Jim, one of the proposed founding members offers his view on the project.

I will not add to what he says.

INTEGRATED EDUCATION

A N. Ireland blog reader asked my views on Integrated Education in N Ireland.

I have always been a supporter and in fact many years ago in Larne brought people together who later went on to found a very successful Integrated school in Larne called Corran.

I was originally the first mover in the project but the early committee came under pressure to discard me because I was deemed "controversial".

At the time I was hurt - but in any event, the school succeeded and that was the most important thing as Larne is 87% Protestant and 13% Catholic.

When I came to Belfast in 1978 I was horrified the thousands of children in my Falls Road parish had never met a Protestant!

Immediately I started inviting Protestant ministers and others to visit the youth club and schools I was involved in.

On one such visit, I was showing 18 Methodist ministers around Divis Flats. A little girl acted one minister, wearing a clerical collar if he was a priest.

He answered: " No love, I am a Protestant. What do you think of us".

She answered: "I hate yees".

"Why do you hate us"? asked the minister?

"Because yees don't believe in Jesus", she replied.

The minister said: "Well, I believe in Jesus".

The little girl said: "Then you're a quare kind of Protestant then".

In a humorous way, it shows the great misunderstanding there exists when people and communities never mingle or meet.

My belief is that if you mingle in school with others who are different from the age of 4 to 16/18 there will be a greater chance of misunderstanding and hatred being greatly lessened.

Segregated education is and has been part of the problem in N. Ireland.

Integrated Education can be a big part of the solution.

Vested interests like churches etc benefit financially and power wise from segregation.

But society at large benefits from integration.

Even in N. Ireland today there is still much misunderstanding, prejudice, and hatred in existence.

Integrated Education is a powerful weapon against these evils.

If I had my way, ALL SCHOOLS would be nondenominational and INTEGRATED!

THE LITTLE BROTHERS OF THE ORATORY

I founded THE ORATORY SOCIETY in 1986 to be the umbrella body of the ministry that takes place here at Larne in County Antrim. We are 31 years on now.

The Constitution of The Oratory Society allowed for a number of expressions of priesthood, ministry and religious life.

This ministry is something that can be undertaken by lay men and women, by priests and by men and women who wished to live in common as members of a religious community/house. 

My first priestly ordination was of a woman - Mother Francis Meigh - who is not a member of The Oratory Society but who has lived as an independent priest/hermit at Forkhill in County Armagh for the past 19  years. Mother Francis is also an accomplished artist and iconographer.

Recently there has been a development whereby a priest and a seminarian with a monastic background have made the decision to come together to live a community life as The Little Brothers of The Oratory at a venue near The Oratory itself in Larne.

They will open a community house, have daily Mass and pray The Divine Office at their new community house. They hope to be joined by other interested men as time goes on. They will be open to having visits from men and women who are considering living a very flexible religious life - either at the new venue, another venue, or even as "associates" in their own areas and homes.  

The new house will have a common living and dining area and each of the "brothers" will have his own room. There will a chapel and a common library also.

Those living at this community house will equally share all the costs of the venture.

For prayer and formal gatherings, they will wear a simple religious habit - and this will be facilitated by the fact that one of the two new "brothers" is an experienced monastic tailor. 

Apart from offering Mass and prayer for the intentions of others, they will also develop, over time, a ministry to others in accordance with their gifts and resources. 

The "normal" three vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience will be interpreted in a non-traditional way to allow for people's needs and lifestyles. 

One of the two new brothers is currently looking at and drawing up a simple Constitution and Rule of Life for the enterprise. 

In the past few days, we have acquired a house large enough to begin this process.

People, as I say, can live in a community, out in the world and also be "associates".

We will be taking a 21st Century look at the three traditional vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience and seeing how modern promises can be made around the area of possessions, sexuality and Gospel-based obedience to God.

I will be joining the small community for Mass and The Divine Office as often as I can every week.

With the decline of churches and religion, people are being left without a spirituality that gets them through the highs and lows of life.

The community will also be completely ecumenical.

Anyone interested can contact me on:

bishopbuckley1@outlook.com

TAKING CHURCH OUT OF SCHOOL

New rules for pupils opting out of religion

• The Irish Times
• 23 Oct 2017
• CARL O’BRIEN Education Editor

Pupils who opt out of religious instruction classes in community and comprehensive secondary schools must be given access to tuition in other subjects under new rules due to come into force soon.

The move will be seen by many as the latest step on the part of the State in wresting back control of the education system from the Catholic Church.

Department of Education officials are finalising a circular aimed at modernising decades-old rules that cover the teaching of religion in community and comprehensive schools. Minister for Education Richard Bruton has confirmed that a new circular will insist on “a proper timetable of beneficial work” for children who opt out of religion. The rules will affect students in more than 300 of the State’s 700-plus secondary schools. While these schools were set up by the State as multidenominational schools, the Catholic Church plays a significant role in many of them and is often involved in their governance.

Parents have a right to take their children out of religion classes in these schools but in practice this often does not occur. Children are regularly left to sit at the back of the class during religious instruction and may be prohibited from studying other subjects, wearing headphones or completing schoolwork, according to parents.

Some schools run by Tipperary Education and Training Board, for example, have rules which state that children who opt out of religion should not have access to other classes, as it would given them an “unfair advantage”. They also regard themselves as “Catholic schools”.

Wider community

Mr Bruton, however, insisted community and comprehensive schools are multidenominational and are obliged to service the wider community.

“We are in a process of a dialogue to sort that out with new formal arrangements,” he said.

“There is a circular to be developed later in the year which will give clear guidelines, but the intention is – and has always been –that every child that turns up should be treated as an individual whose needs are to be accommodated.”

“Instead of being seen as someone who is just opting out, the school [should] seek to accommodate those children in the best way possible.”

Senior officials say the circular is likely to insist that children be provided with access to meaningful education or a time-tabled class.

Deeds of trust

Many community and comprehensive schools are required to have two hours of religious instruction under deeds of trust. They are also required to make provision for students of all faiths and none.

Parents, in theory, have a constitutional right to opt their children out of religion instruction classes in schools. The reality is often different.

Parents say it can be close to impossible to exercise their rights, even in schools operated by the State rather than religious orders.

Children are regularly left to sit at the back of the class during religious instruction. They are often prohibited from studying other subjects.

Take the case of Tipperary Education and Training Board. It, in theory, is a multidenominational patron body owned by the State.

However, its policy for second-level students is that they must remain in religion class at all times and not take part in any other activity.

“The rationale for this is to ensure that no unfair advantage accrues to students opting out of religious education, but rather to ensure that all students have equality of opportunity time-wise when it comes to exam preparation during the school day,” it states, according to documents obtained by Atheist Ireland under the Freedom of Information Act.

Moreover, the same organisation regards its schools as having a belief, ethos and characteristic spirit that is Catholic which “needs to addressed in all policies”.

Change

These rules now look set to change. Department of Education officials are finalising a circular aimed at modernising rules over the teaching of religion in community, comprehensive and Education and Training Board schools.

Minister for Education Richard Bruton has confirmed it will require schools to have a “proper timetable of beneficial work” for children who opt out of religion.

This is likely mean a separate class for another subject on the curriculum.

The move is good news for many parents, and students, who have long felt they were treated as second-class citizens in a system which was supposedly to cater to all.

It will also be welcomed by school management bodies for the sector who have been looking for the rules which govern religious instruction to be modernised.

However, it will also pose an administrative and resource headache for schools. They will argue they will need extra resources to do so.Some say numbers could climb dramatically if students have access to extra classes for exam subjects.

More broadly, the move is likely to be seen as the latest attempt by the State to wrest back control of its schools from the Church.

Today, one in 10 of the population has no religion. More than one in three people in some parts of the State – such as Dublin City, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown and Galway – are non-Catholic.

As far as the State sector is concerned, at least, the education system is finally catching up with the reality of the modern classroom.

CONNAGHT TRIBUNE:

Ulster Bank has even put a figure on it – they said with almost 60,000 children making their Communion this year, nine and ten year olds had €27.9 million to spend and saved €13.3 million.

That means the make about €460 on average for their big day and they save around half of it – although our Communicants are the poor relations. Or they have the poor relations, to be more precise because children here pocket an average of €369 compared to those in Dublin who make an average of €533.

The other side of this equation is the cost of your typical First Holy Communion Day with all the trappings and trimmings – because it runs to almost €1,000 on the day, making the religious industry worth €57 million, according to a recent survey.

That’s not including those who trouser up for stretch limos – or even helicopters – to take their little darling to the Church

PAT SAYS:

Personally, I believe that all schools should be state schools and that religious education and sacramental preparation should be provided at home, in the parish and at a church Sunday school.

Of course, we should not forget, or be ungrateful for the fact that religious orders and dioceses provided schools when the state was young and unable to.

Nor should we forget that the Catholic Church, its dioceses, and religious orders accrued hundreds of millions of pounds from the state for providing these schools.

AND - priests, brothers, and nuns told us that they were DOING IT FOR GOD!

They have received their financial reward in this life and if there are due a reward from God they will get it in the next life.

We live now in a pluralist and secular 21st century when religion is on the decline and it is contradictory for any church to own and run confessional schools.

Many parents are lazy about their own religion and want the school and the teachers to do the job for them.

That's why we have the common phenomenon of scores of children being marched up church aisles for sacraments like Holy Communion and Confirmation and the following Sunday only a small fraction of those communicated or confirmed show up at the Sunday Mass.

Communion and Confirmation have become a social and financial feast with children arriving for sacraments in white limos and even helicopters.

And in many cases, it's just an excuse for a big meal and a piss up!

Churches and parishes should be centres of REAL FAITH and not just annexes to hotels, theme parks, and pubs.

Parents and grandparents get a kick out of seeing their little Paddy's or Mary's dressed as little brides and little grooms at Communion and Confirmation.

A lot of poor families end up thousands of pounds in debt after these occasions. It would be far better for the children to wear their ordinary school uniforms to these events with a modest celebration afterward in the parish hall.

There is also a big difference between SPIRITUALITY and RELIGION.

Current faith schools are giving people a superficial religion and not a life lasting spirituality.

Faith schools are part of the problem and not part of the solution.

They give local priests immense POWER over children, parents and teachers.

Many, if not most teachers have tales to tell about being victims of such clerical power when it comes to jobs and promotions.

Let the Church and its dioceses spend their ammassed fortunes on providing social housing for homeless and struggling people.

That would be a more relavant mission today - rather than running exclusive schools for the rich or weilding and abusing power in towns and villages across the land.