Saturday, February 28, 2009

An Focal Scóir - February 2009

We enter Spring with St Brigids Day, Candlemas Day and the feast of Saint Blaise, and the month of the Purification of Mary...

...and the Holocaust furore continues, Cardinal O'Malley defends Il Papa, RC in charge of US Republican party, Il Papa heals one schism but begins another, women priests want their excommunication lifted, new Patriarch in Russia...

...Anglican schism or reformation, Il Papa intentions for February, martyrs of Tyburn Tree remembered, gay marriage possible in Portugal, Irish RC priests CSA in USA, jubilee of Bishop Smith, Cardinal & Il Papa agree on annulments...

...new Cardinal to be announced for NY by Il Papa, CofE to be re-organised, German Jews see Il Papa actions as a breach of trust, call for Il Papa to step down, Legionaries Of Christ comment on inappropriate behaviour of founder Maciel, Cardinal O'Malley lashes Obama on abortion, rare internal criticism heard in Vatican, YouTube Vatican site claims 750,000 hits in first week...

...AB Martin says Irish RC Church has failed parents, Cardinal Kasper claims Vatican botched Holocaust issue, Merkel criticises Vatican handling of SSPX Holocaust denying bishop, Il Papa an embarrassment in German homeland, new Russian Patriarch not too enthused (yet) with Vatican visit...

...new Presbyterian moderator elected, Priests sing for Prince Charles, Vatican orders SSPX to recant remarks in relation to Holocaust, Vatican claims Il Papa was unaware of Holocaust remarks, Austrian RC not happy with SSPX remarks of Il Papa, Maciel fathered a daughter, Chicago Cathedral ravaged by fire...

...celibacy no longer sacrosanct in Poland, Ferns clergy volunteer for Garda clearance, Cardinal Hoyos considered the one responsible for SSPX faux-pax, Cardinal O'Connor Murphy condemns Il Papa decision to lift excommunication of SSPX, Legionaries need transparency, Christian groups respond to atheist adverts, Il Papa fallibility explored, Jesuits face more lawsuits...

...female apostolic visit to convents begins, Irish Christian Brothers settle more CSA actions, focus on suicide marks world day of sick, Cardinal O'Mahoney in LA faces questioning of CSA, Il Papa to visit Germany in 2010, Irish Bishop calls for renewal of Irish Catholic church...

...internet used by RC to encourage vocations, Il Papa trip to Holy Land to proceed, Brisbane priest sacked over feud, Hayes & Finch clerical rip-off, Lombardi claims Vatican needs to improve communications, Bishop Williamson removed from seminary post for Holocaust remarks, Galway Novena 2009...

...Il Papa and Nazi Youth, WomenPriests want decree lifted, Vatican to re-evaluate Darwinism, Limerick to host biggest theology conference, Czech cardinal to retire, Anglican Synod permits women bishops, Dutch RC Church Tribunal green lights priest relationship with woman, Vietnam and Vatican to establish ties, Il Papa to visit Portugal soon...

...Cloyne CSA claims added to, marriage prep courses rise in demand, Aussie Bishop under Vatican investigation, Austrian RC to hold emergency bishops conference, Vatican marks 80th Anniversary, St Valentines Day, CW Aid Appeal Update, 'bogus' Mass cards no longer permitted in Ireland...

...Church of Ireland's population on the rise, recession making way for morality, Il Papa message for Lent 2009, SSPX bishop says SSPX cannot accept all of Vatican II, anti-Vatican protests in London, priest turns down Bishop job in Austria, Fr Kennedy in Brisbane collapses, Hal the Healer strikes again...

...alert for conman dressed as priest, 1st South Korean Cardinal Stephen Kim Sou-hwan dies (RIP), Fr Kennedy to retire post-collapse, Pelosi and Brown to meet Il Papa, 2 attempted assassination attempts on JPII in Poland, 10 for Canonisation, DaVinci sequel angers Vatican...

...theologians calls for implementation of Vatican II, Bray shenanigans 21 & 22, calls for boycott of St Obama candles, LA CSA now a Fed Case, St Marys Brisbane rumbles on, Il Papa appoints assembly for Africa, Vatican rescinds Austrian bishop appointment, German theologians clash with Bishop over Il Papa...

...Spanish priest murdered in Cuba, diocesan appointments in Kilmore and Ardagh and Clonmacnoise, AB Martin criticises 'pretend' RC's, only 3 Irish dioceses fully complied with audit of CSA, JPII target of assassinations on trips to Poland, Il Papa rebukes Pelosi...

...Nigerian cardinal to lead Vatican Lenten retreat, SSPX leader says uniting with Vatican will not be easy, Satan is sexist by all accounts, Il Vaticano soccer tournament returns, eugenics on way back, St Patricks Day celebrations piddled on by bishop, ex-nun confessions not helpful to Kerala church...

...anti-semitism alive on SSPX website, homophobic church not welcomed in UK, nuns freed in Somalia, clerical showdown in Brisbane, Great Continental Mission in Latin America announced, excommunication sought for Pelosi, SSPX Holocaust denier thrown out of Argentina, Jewish relations on the mend...

...Il Papa to visit Scotland (?), Brisbane continues to rumble, Feast of the Chair of St Peter the Apostle, Vatican Vindictiveness plays out, names of 10 new saints announced, preparing for Lent 2009, questions raised in Cloyne re CSA, Irish Pioneers ask for cut in alcohol consumption, 1 in 10 of Irish Anglican ministers was RC, increase of marriage in Ireland...

...Irish bishop fears recession will reduce birth rate, Dolan to NY confirmed, Legion Of Christ to respond to scandal, 2010 UK Papal visit considered, majority of Poland RC priests want end to celibacy, Irish diocese of Ferns paid out €8million in CSA settlements, AB Martin not happy with inconsistencies in Child Protection Guidelines, 56 allegations of Clerical CSA in Ireland in 2008...

...Filipino nuns threatened by military, Tutu says recession will help Ireland get real, Il Papa meets Il Diablo, Hayes and Finch Clerical Rip-Off (Update), Ash Wednesday sees the beginning of Lent, Clerical CSA in Ireland dominates yet again, 400 years of King James Bible, Il Papa and Vatican II...

...Germany applauds Merkel attack on Il Papa, Clerical Love, call for Irish primary schools to be handed to Irish State (97% in Church hands), support for same-sex marriages in Ireland, Holocaust-denying bishop recants on remarks, Church of Wales launches CSA case review...

...Hans Kung draws criticism from Vatican, Irish priest fails to have rape conviction overturned, Msgr Fellay rejects Vatican II, Vatican rejects Williamson apology, clerical hands in the till, Vatican halts joint ecumenical service, Bishop Willie 'Wishy Washy' Walsh Lenten Pastoral, Il Papa upsets the Jews (again), UK Cardinal to take seat in House Of Lords, Vatican stance on drugs is endangering lives claims UN Organisation.

And there ends the month of February, feast month of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which began with the Feast of St Brigid and please God, the season of Spring and renewal as we begin our Lenten journey into ourselves and ultimately, Christ.

Sotto Voce