I’ve seen it all now …. tree stump worship on church grounds in Co. Limerick.

Hundreds of people are flocking to St. Mary’s Church grounds in Rathkeale, Co. Limerick to pray and touch a willow tree stump which people are claiming depicts an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary herself.

Candles have been lit, multiple rosaries recited and a 24 hour vigil has been mounted to ensure that nobody removes the offending tree trunk!

Last Monday, unsuspecting FAS workers (recognisable in their fluorscent yellow jackets,)  cut down the tree as its branches were overhanging a primary school (have to bring in the education system somewhere …. they’ll be blaming the Principal for the manifestations shortly) when one of the FAS workers had a revelation …. “Jesus, Look …. it’s herself …. yer wan …. the Virgin Mary”. (Last time they’ll allow a clinically recognised depressive on the FAS scheme).

30 minutes later the “Holy Joe Society” was out in force ….. jibbering, jabbering and mouthing all sorts on incantations.

The local priest is, apparently, quite sceptical about the whole thing …. he has claimed (apparently) …. “There’s nothing there … it’s just a tree. You can’t worship a tree”.

And he then said (apparently) …. “Don’t forget to contribute to the donation box!”

The gift shops in Rathkeale have noticed a surge in sales …. tree stump icons, plastic glowing crosses, FAS badges …. “I saw the Virgin Mary FIRST”.

The gift shop owner (who shall remain nameless), Seamus Horgan is reported to have said (apparently) that “people are looking for hope in these times and if they find it in a piece of wood then God knows it’s a good thing.”

A passing pensioner said he felt better having seen the stump.

Another said ’twas great …. it was getting the young people interested in the church again (albeit the church grounds).

One man, who travelled from West Cork (God help his head) prayed to the stump asking to be reunited with his ex-girlfriend.

Plans are at an advanced satge to have a glass case place around the wooded stump to protect it from the elements (and the Parish Priest who is away on holidays at the moment).

Ah shure ….. twil all work out grand in the end …. touch wood.

Moses receives the 10 Commandments but cries to the Lord.

“Your people giveth me a migraine!”

So the Lord replies:

“Take two tablets and call me in the morning.”

Lots has been said about Pope Pius XII.

Did he ignore the plight of the Jews during World War II?

Did he do enough to end their plight?

What did he do?

Pope Benedict XVI is quick to defend him, claiming that he acted silently to save as many Jews as possible. (I’m uncomfortable with the word ‘silent’ ~ there’s a note of ‘opt-out’ in it)

The Vatican has always been quick to defend Pius XII, saying that he used behind-the-scenes diplomacy to help the Jews. Six million Jews died. I wonder how many his diplomacy saved? I wonder how many his ‘not so secret diplomacy’ might have saved?

In his defence, he said in a Christmas message in December 1942 that he deplored the situation of ’hundreds of thousands of persons, who, for no fault of their own, only for reason of nationality or ethnic roots, were destined for death or for steady deterioration,’

Perhaps he was a victim of circumstance; he became Pope in 1939 and the world went downhill for 6 years.

This year is the fiftieth anniversary of his death and the Vatican is mooting his future elevation to sainthood.

The issues surrounding his papacy need to be cleared up before they make a ‘saint’ of the man.

The secret archives section dealing with his papacy have yet to be opened up to historians. I reckon that would be a good place to start.

On an aside note …. this whole process/notion/idea of elevating people/popes etc. to sainthood sounds totally illogical to me.

Who gave these ‘experts’ the right/authority to call somebody a saint? After all they are only human like you and me …. and being human they ain’t perfect.

I guess having another saint is good for business … think of all the additional sales in religious objects!

He installed his software on the hard disk of my heart;

All of his commands are user-friendly.

His directory guides me to the right choices for his name’s sake.

Even though I scroll through the problems of life, I will fear no bugs, for He is my backup.

His password protects me.

He prepares a menu before me in the presence of my enemies.

His help is only a keystroke away.

Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and my file will be merged with his and saved forever.

Amen.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamen ………… Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamen
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamen!

Had the Diocesan Advisor (aka the Religious Inspector) in today …

Wonder if it had any effect on me?!

They’ve dug up the body of Padre Pio forty years after his death.

They being the powers that be in the Catholic Church.

Why  …….  one may ask?

According to the local Archbishop of the area, Monsignor Domenico D’Ambrosio, the reason they dug him up is:

“to allow future generations the chance to venerate the mortal remains of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina and to conserve them as well as possible.”

Some facts about Padre Pio:

• He died in September 1968 at the age of 81
• He was said to have had stigmata – crucifixion marks in his hands and feet
• He was shunned by church authorities and recognised only after massive popular devotion to him
• He was made a saint in 2002 by Pope John Paul II

Some facts about the exhumation and subsequent display of the body:

• His body was exhumed as part of the celebrations for the anniversary of his death
• His body was said to be ‘intact’ when it was exhumed in March
• There were no signs of the stigmata visible
• A team of forensic specialists, doctors and a biochemist worked to restore the body
• A London company that supplies figures for wax museums created a special silicone mask to represent his face, complete with beard and bushy eyebrows
• His body is on display at Santa Maria Delle Grazie Church in San Giovanni Rotondo near Foggia, Italy in a glass-and-marble coffin
• Padre Pio is wearing the brown hood of his Capuchin order
• A white silk stole embroidered in crystals and gold covers his shoulders
• His hands are placed on his chest under a large wooden cross
• One million people are expected to file past the exhumed body at a rate of 2,000 a day.
• There was opposition from Padre Pio’s family initially but they later gave the go ahead

Quoting Monsignor D’Ambrosio again:

“The upper part of the skull was skeletal while the forehead was in perfect condition. The rest of the body is also well preserved. You can clearly see the beard, knees, hands, the nails – if Padre Pio will forgive me it’s as if he has just had a manicure. The signs of the stigmata are not visible. The robes are also still intact and his feet are visible because as is customary capuchin monks are buried shoeless.”

More stuff related to Padre Pio:

• An Italian author published a book claiming that the stigmata were faked and there was evidence in the Vatican archives to prove this
• Padre Pio’s shrine draws close to one million pilgrims each year
• He is especially popular in Australia and Ireland
• The hospital he founded in San Giovanni Rotondo is one of the biggest in southern Italy

Critics have said that the adulation of Padre Pio represents the kind of superstition-infused popular worship frowned upon by Catholicism.
Church officials have described the display as a “grand event, comparable to the Olympics”.

The question remains ….. is it veneration or idolatry?

Ouch!

Today (the 19th of April) is the third anniversary of Joseph Ratzinger becoming Pope Benedict XVI.

He is fulfilling his duty as caretaker Pope well!

Good man Herr Ratzinger.

The loss of Pope John Paul II is to be lamented. I have written previously that I liked the man, the way he lived his life and the way he treated all people.

Pope Benedict is a mystery man to me. A former youth of Hitler ‘preaching the faith’ to the plebs of the world.

I have a number of issues with the Catholic Church:

• Wealth is a sin …. so why is the Catholic Church sitting on so much wealth? Sell … sell … sell ………. make a difference to the poor!
• The Pope’s dallyance with the likes of George Bush is a hypocritical step too far for me. Why is the Church dancing with the devil? Don’t dance …. criticise …. use your ‘power’ for the betterment of mankind and not for encouraging the status quo.
• Where’s your ‘Equality of Access and Participation’ policy? We have one in my school. All are treated equally. Amazingly enough, Emminence, girls and boys are meant to be favoured equally. So when are you going to allow women an equal role in the Church?
• Allow priests to marry! By all means keep celibacy optional but allow the Bishop Caseys of the world the opportunity to do ‘it’ legitimately. (When I was a young lad I always thought that priests automatically got into heaven …. wow … was I wrong …. priests seem to be as bad if not worse than the ordinary Joe Soap sinner on the street). Priest were allowed marry until the twelfth century …. what ‘revelation’ made celibacy the ‘new fashion’? For the first 1200 years of the Church’s existence, priests, bishops and 39 popes were married!! Allowing priests marry might also reduce the instances of paedophilia amongst priests! If it saves one child from such treatment you’ll have made a good decision.
• Infallibility … the Pope may represent God on earth but he’s still a human …. and no human is perfect …. I can’t accept the argument that the Pope is infallible. Look at the shenanigans of previous popes and you’ll see what I mean.

If good and bad is so black and white …… why can the Church change black to white and vice versa when the inclination strikes it?

Answer: The Church is run by a group of power hungry men …. with opinions, feelings and biases same as the rest of us. The only thing is … when they make a decision or have a ‘revelation’ it affects half the world immediately.

As an aside ….. if there’s only one God …. whose God is the right God?

Is it the Catholic God?,

The Church of Ireland God?

The Muslim God?

The Buddhist God?

or?

It reminds me of the joke of a man dying and going to heaven. Peter meets him at the gate and welcomes him in. He tells the man that there are different areas in heaven …. the Jewish area, the Muslim area, etc. The only place Peter asks the man to stay silent is as they pass the Catholic compound. The man asks him why he has to stay silent while passing the Catholic compound only and Peter replies it’s because the Catholics believe they are the only group worthy enough to be in heaven. (Not quite the full joke/story …. but you’ll get the idea).

My ‘philosophy’ is life has evolved to trying to live each day the best I can without causing too much angst to those around me. ‘Live and let live’ would cover me I think.

As I don’t follow the Catholic ethos in my life anymore …. I guess my salavation is in jeopardy.

I don’t expect to leave a legacy after me when I die …. my only wish is that I will be remembered is some form now and again. I reckon my best hope will be for somebody to accidentally read my name on a graveyard wall. I don’t want to be remembered for my teaching (teachers are quickly forgotten when they are out of the classroom).