The Sad Affair of Bishop Morris

The unfortunate situation with former Bishop Morris of Australia is still rearing it's ugly head in the Catholic "press."

"The National Catholic Distorter Reporter" ran a story on it today as the former Bishop is still publicly yelling "foul" and demanding public release of private Vatican reports neither the public or he, individually, have access rights to.

You can read NCR's article here.
It's been a while since I've wrote to them or replied to an article until now. The following is my response to the article appearing on their site:

This situation is very sad and should never have to happen to a successor of the Apostles. But if one is to be in place as an apostolic successor, the teachings of the Apostles must remain intact.

The situation is not really new; the Vatican has been trying to remove the Bishop for a few years. Bishop Morris, sadly, has a long history of conflict with the teachings of the Church and the Magisterium. This conflict was not limited to the "question" of priestly ordination for women (although it certainly is an important element of the situation). Even his simple but adamant call for "dialogue" concerning "women's ordination" is an in-your-face disdain for the Code of Canon Law: the casting of doubt on the Church's teaching of ordination (of women) is a transgression to be reprimanded. His actions very publicly showed contempt for "Ordinatio Sacerdotalis" by Pope John Paul II.

The visitation was his own doing; it was the result of his stubborn refusal to go to Rome when he was called there to account for himself. Before this, He was given many opportunities to correct his errors and more than once actually met with Vatican officials in-person...including one audience with the Holy Father himself!

For the last few years he was basically a squatter in the office of bishop as he refused to give his resignation when told to do so. His juvenile obstinacy forced the Vatican's hand in making it a publicly announced removal.

He was chosen as a successor to Christ's Apostles and more than anything else, we should be praying for him. Not only for his own soul which he has put in danger but all the souls that were put in his charge which he has also put in grave danger. All members of Christ's Mystical Body, down to the lowest of us, deserve our leaders and teachers to be true and help in saving our eternal souls, not contributing to their damnation. Bishop Morris was a shepherd leading his flock into a pit.

Mr. Brian Batty, O.P.

Divine Mercy Sunday

Eternal Father, I offer you the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.

For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

The Diocese of Worcester Does it Again!

The diocese trumpeted the availability of Confession every Tuesday evening at 7- 8:00 pm all during Lent. After attempting 4 different parishes, I came home disappointed, angry, sweaty and still in desperate need of confession.
Best response I got at a church this evening: Call the Chancery to schedule one. They expect me to trust them on that one?
Let this be another lesson for me in the folly of living one-and-a-half hours away from my regular church/pastor.

Crisis of Faith Fake it 'Till You Make it.

Despite what the graphic in the left column of this blog says, it is not true that I pray the Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office). I haven't prayed the Rosary, Divine Office or any other prayer in over 3 weeks now. I simply can't seem to make myself pray anymore. I don't know how much longer this "fake [faith] it till you make" act in going through the other Church motions can continue. I'm going to have to fall off the fence soon; who knows which side I'm going to land.

Help is Full!

Apostolate

I'm totally dumbfounded that Catholic Charities in my diocese currently doesn't need volunteers! Apparently, other local Catholic orgs that want volunteers don't need them bad enough to return inquiry calls.

Post Acute Myocardial Infraction Musings

The blog has once again been neglected due to my recent incidents (note the plural) of acute myocardial infration, otherwise known as heart attacks (sheesh!).

As most of the post heart attack fear and stress is slowly fading, there is the new fear of what impact this may have on my now 7 year (this month) struggle for any type of ordination in the Church. I often wonder where my priorities are - as I lay there embarrassingly exposed while they did my cardiac catheterization, all I thought about the entire time was if and how there was a possibility this would prevent me from ever becoming a priest. I decided on the table not to give up on life even if the only dream I have can no longer remain just a hope.

I've been ignoring people too, but now it's time to move back into Creation. Moving on, let's see what business we can get down to with prayer, study, community and apostolate!

Brian.

Saint John of Cologne

Today we remember the Dominican martyr St. John of Cologne and the other 18 Martyrs of Gorkum, all priests and religious.

Previous to his martyrdom, all that we know of the life of St. John of Gorkum can be quickly told. He was a religious of his convent of Cologne who performed the duties of a parish priest in Holland, which was at that time engaged in a death struggle with the Spanish princes. The place and date of his birth are not known; those of his death will never be forgotten.

Anti Spanish and Protestant soldiers banded themselves into lawless armies of pirates, and, unpaid and disillusioned, foraged for themselves in the seaports, looking for plunder. Reproached by the clergy, they turned on the Church and one band of pirates laid siege to the city of Gorkum, capturing it after a struggle. For reprisal because of the city's determined defense they gathered all members of the clergy in Gorkum into one miserable prison and set about taking revenge on the priests for their own grievances against the Spanish crown. Hearing of the plight of these poor priests, John left the comparative safety of his parish and entered Gorkum in disguise in order to give whatever assistance he might. Several times he entered the city to dispense the sacraments, and to bring consolation to the priests who were being cruelly tortured. Eventually, he also was taken prisoner and subjected to torture.

Angered by the endurance of the priests, the pirates increased their abuses. Some of the religious were very old and infirm, but one and all, even to an aged Augustinian who was so weak he could barely stand, they bore their martyrdom with patience and sweetness for ten terrible days and nights. They were repeatedly asked to deny the Real Presence, and just as repeatedly refused, which brought on more and more dreadful tortures. Finally they were thrown into the hold of a ship, and they were taken to another city to be killed in the presence of a Protestant nobleman, a man noted for his hatred of Catholicism.

Eleven Franciscans, a Premonstratensian, an Augustinian and four secular priests suffered with John of Cologne the long anguish of protracted martyrdom. Two of the number had been far from exemplary in their lives, but by their heroic constancy at the hour of trial blotted out the stains that might otherwise have kept them out of heaven. But, sadly, there should have been twenty martyrs of Gorkum. One, who weakened and was released after he had denied the Real Presence, lived but twenty four hours to enjoy his wretched freedom. The other nineteen gloriously went to heaven.

The martyrs, after being exhibited to the curious townspeople (who paid to see the spectacle) and subjected to every manner of torture, were finally hanged in an old barn, amid the jeers of the mob. Stripped of their habits and made, like their Master, "the reproach of men and the outcast of the people," they benefitted by their Christ like sufferings and detachment and died a Christ like death.

Their bodies, mutilated both before and after death, were callously thrown into a ditch.

The scene of their martyrdom soon became a place of pilgrimage, where all the Christian world did reverence to the men who were so courageously obedient unto death. Accounts of several miracles, performed through the martyrs’ intercession and relics, were used for their beatification. Most of their relics are kept in the Franciscan church at Brussels to which they were secretly conveyed from Briel in 1616.

(Source : Dorcy, Marie Jean. St. Dominic's Family. Tan Books and Publishers, 1983, The Order of Preachers)


Painting depicting the Martyrs of Gorkum