The Tragedy, and Hope, of Ireland
Ah, the Emerald Isle, the cradle of Catholicism for the British Isles, land of heroes and martyrs, of rousing and melancholic music, of large boisterous families, sending out missionaries across Europe and the world, what has become of ye’?
Two windows into the tragedy that is Ireland, and her precipitous loss of the Faith:
First, Father Brendan Hoban, a priest of an era that helped eradicate what Faith was left after the heady sixties. As you may behold his be-cardiganed-self lament, he wishes the younger traditional priests – what few there are – would just disappear, for they -wait for it – wear cassocks, talk of sin, and want the Latin Mass! The horror!
'They are traditional, they wear black, soutanes, they want to talk about sin, they want the Latin Mass!
I despair of young priests'
Fr. Brendan Hoban, who has an influential role in the Irish Synod pic.twitter.com/4YLKV5qFnZ
— Catholic Arena (@CatholicArena) August 23, 2022
On a broader cultural note, this recent article from First Things by John Duggan, gives a glimpse into recent media productions, and how far they, and by extension the people, have not only drifted from the Faith of their fathers and mothers, but have developed a positive distaste for anything to do with Catholic beliefs and mores. A secular, hedonistic pottage, leading nowhere good.
The prophecy of Saint Malachi, a 12th century archbishop of Armagh (+1148) – who also purportedly prophesied all the popes there would be – claims that Ireland will be inundated by the sea before she completely loses the Faith. Whatever its historical and prophetic value, one can’t help but be reminded of Abraham’s deal with God concerning Sodom, and the five just men. Well, according to Father Hoban, there may well be a few ‘just priests’ milling around parishes somewhere in the green hills. But one wonders what may happen if they are canceled or exiled, as Father Hoban seems to desire. They could be the very thing holding Ireland from total collapse. As the devil lamented to the Curé d’Ars, if there were but three priests like him, his kingdom would be destroyed tomorrow.
So, ironically, Father’s Hoban lament is not one of despair, but of hope, so long as a few faithful Irish remain.
Erin go bragh!
Saint Patrick, urnuigh air ar son!
Carney’s Amoral Majority
After five defections – euphemistically described as ‘crossing the floor’ – and three by-elections, Mark Carney and his Liberals how have their coveted majority. One wonders what bowls of pottage were offered in back-room deals. In the archaic monarchical system that is the Dominion of Canada, this majority allows the newly-minted Prime Minister to rule[…]Continue reading→
Saint Kateri , Canada’s Protectress
This was the title given to Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, by Pope Benedict XVI, when he canonized her on October 28th, 2012, along with six others, in Saint Peter’ Square (she had been beatified by Pope John Paul II back in 1980). With Saint Joseph as our protector, along with the Canadian martyrs, we seem to[…]Continue reading→
A Tale of Two Benedicts
A grace-filled Holy Week to all our readers! As we await and prepare for the Resurrection about to dawn upon us, we might keep in mind two Benedicts: Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, requiescat in pace, elected on this day in 2005; and today’s commemoration of the mystic pilgrim, Benedict Joseph Labre, who died on this[…]Continue reading→
My Name is Bernadette
April 16th is a propitious day, for besides the anniversary of Father de Valk’s death, who founded Catholic Insight in its print form decades ago, and the commemoration of the ‘two Benedicts’, mentioned in accompanying posts, today we also recall Saint Bernadette Soubirous, the young visionary to whom the Virgin Mary appeared numerous times at[…]Continue reading→
Saint Lydwina of Schiedam and Suffering Joyfully
Saint Lydwina of Schiedam (1380 – 1433) was one of the countless and glorious ‘victim souls’ in the history of the Church, those whose lives are filled with suffering, often of an unimaginable intensity, but who suffer joyfully. She was a fifteen-year old Dutch girl, out skating one day, when she fell and broke one[…]Continue reading→
The Glorious Martyrdoms of Martin and Maximus
As we enter into Eastertide, we recall on this 13th of April Pope Saint Martin I (+655), one of the noblest, if most tragic, of the successors of Saint Peter. Born in Umbria, Italy, he was of noble lineage, with great intelligence combined with charity and love of the poor and the Church. While still[…]Continue reading→
Saint Stanislaus of Szczepanów
We celebrate Saint Stanislaus today (+ April 11, 1079), in light of this Easter Octave, a bishop and martyr who accepted the episcopacy only at the direct order of Pope Alexander II. He proved a wise and courageous leader of his flock, put to death by his own king, Boleslaus, for rebuking the monarch’s ‘immoral[…]Continue reading→
Saint Gemma Galgani
On this April 11th, in 1903 – the same year that the Italian Guiseppe Sarto was elected Pope later that summer as Pius X – a lovely, young Italian woman died, by the name of Gemma Galgani. She lived a brief life of 24 years, as did a number of other young saints, including Pier[…]Continue reading→
An Ideological and Improper Translation
I noticed something odd with the psalm reading at Mass the other day. Our bishops’ conference here in Canada has decreed that the Mass in English – Novus Ordo – use the ‘NRSV’, the ‘New Revised Standard Version’, an ‘updated’ translation of the original RSV, first published in 1952. This ‘new translation’ has the tendency[…]Continue reading→
Saint Jean-Baptiste de la Salle: A Teacher for Teachers
Jean-Baptiste de la Salle (1651 – 1719), a French nobleman, ordained a priest, founded the first order in the Church’s history entirely without priests, and this came about almost by accident. I say ‘almost’, for, of course, there are no accidents with God. Destined for ordination from an early age, Jean-Baptiste never looked back, even[…]Continue reading→