It never ceases to astound me how the bishops in this country how silent the collective Purple Parliament can be when it truly does require from them some guidance on issues such as the one which happened this week - homosexual clergy and celibacy.This past week has seen a cleric been entrapped and exposed by gutter press and having his private life splashed across the nation in a very unnerving way.
Only that he has Bishop Willie Walsh as his superior would he have had a worse time no doubt but it still does not take from the fact that the Irish Hierarchy could have come out in unison and let it be known to Rome that the issue of celibacy needs to be addressed...and urgently so.
A few years ago, I met with an older cleric colleague of mine who has since passed on, and we got to talking about celibacy (as you do at such clerical convocations) and he said to me a phrase which I have never forgotten...the Irish bishops have got balls alright but don't use them to tackle Rome but rather to tackle women...and therein lies the problem.
If the collective hierarchy got together this week and discussed the whole issue and set forth their ideas, then submitted them to their clergy for comment or otherwise, and then consider the results which I feel would be along the lines of removing obligatory celibacy for clergy.
Once such information is to hand then let them send it to Rome and see how it is dealt with, because it certainly would not be dismissed!!!
You have the balls oh mitred ones, now use them!!!
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