I am not invited to post on Val Farrell's blog (which I have mentioned before) since he closed it to public comment, after a couple of comments from me challenging some of the more idiotic things he was saying. (see previous posts here and here about his spamming invitation, his life is better when we engage philosophy, and his humpty dumptyness)
However, I was struck by this, in his comments about the invitation to the young of the diocese to attend the Holy Father's visit to England:
'I daw (sic) it to your attention now SOLELY for this sentence about the requirements of those chosen to attend: "someone who can stand up and tell parishioners what they have experienced, and who will also be a good witness amongst their peers".
Now it is just possible that I am wrong, but that sentence sounds to me like Joseph Stalin, Mao Tse Tung and the rest, who carefully "organised" in advance, the peoples' response to their every public utterance.
What a blessing this must be to diocesan newspapers up and down the land who now already know what the correct reaction to the papal Visit will be: joy, inspiration, holiness. Get working on those headlines right away. Blow the FACTS, we have already been told what the MESSAGE will be.
From all this, people can surely only conclude that Gospel Truth no longer matters; only the survival of the institution counts.'
Is it me, or is the non sequitur (from 'tell what they have experienced' and be a good witness' to 'correct reaction... joy, inspiration, holiness...') and the whole language of Stalinesque manipulation reading rather more into the sentence he analyses than it warrants?
Clearly from Val's perspective (remember his prayers for women priests et al) anyone who thinks the Holy Father is Holy or a Father is severely deluded - but nonetheless, I think this smacks of paranoia.
A Christmas Message for Church Ministers
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Just one day to go.
You've done 3 lots of carolling, umpteen assemblies, Christingles,
Nativities, Advent Study Groups, crib Services, and written next mon...
10 hours ago
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