I read at the site of the Cardinal Newman Society (see their great RSS feed on my sidebar!), that that paragon of class the PM of Ireland Enda Kenny – pro-abortion catholic – has again stuck his nose into the Church’s business.
Irish Prime Minister Tells Church to Stay out of Politics
The pro-abortion Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny, who drew protests for delivering the commencement address and receiving an honorary degree from Boston College, [SHAME!] has said that personal faith should play no part in legislation, reports the Irish Examiner.
Kenny described himself as “a Taoiseach who happens to be Catholic but not a Catholic Taoiseach,” saying that personal belief should play no part in lawmaking. [He’s hardly any kind of Catholic at all, in other words.]Following Cardinal Sean Brady’s criticism of the prime minister’s support for loosening abortion restrictions in Ireland, Kenny responded:
The Constitution is determined by the people, it’s the people’s book. We live within the parameters of the Constitution and strictly within the confines of the law. And that’s where the heads of the bill are entirely focused: Within the Constitution and within the law.
Kenny made similar remarks during his commencement address at Boston College last month.
“Those privileged to lead this, or any other democracy, will do so not as Catholic or Protestant or dissenter, but as men and women guided by and beholden to nothing but the law, the Constitution and above all, the people,” Kenny told the graduates. “All the people — of all faiths and none. You will do so without fear or favour because your God, your personal faith, will sustain you.”
[…]
Remember when Enda was checking his email during a papal audience? HERE
What a classy guy.
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“Kenny saying that personal belief should play no part in lawmaking.”
Actually he’s right in an ironic sort of way. If he and his ilk stopped doing what was right in his own eyes [Judges 21:25] and started doing what was right in the eyes of the Lord [2 Kings 22:2], lawmaking would be far more just. If one doesn’t legislate God’s law, one legislates man’s whims. If one doesn’t legislate morality one legislates immorality.
Has he ever actually read the Constitution of Ireland??
In the Name of the Most Holy Trinity, from Whom is all authority and to Whom, as our final end, all actions both of men and States must be referred,
We, the people of Éire,
Humbly acknowledging all our obligations to our Divine Lord, Jesus Christ, Who sustained our fathers through centuries of trial,[…].
Why do such people think that non-belief is not a belief? The position of the relativist or utilitarian is one of believing and following what is useful either to them or society. All departures from the Teaching Magisterium are a belief in something else-secular humanism, masonry, neo-paganism, materialism, such as in communism and socialism and so on.
I was astounded last year in my six months in Ireland at the fact that most Catholics I met were socialists and could not see the error of that position.
If one does not follow Christ, one is following someone or something else–usually one’s arrogant self.
It has been said in other comments on here, that End-a Life Kenny is taking up the line which John F. Kennedy espoused, that politicians leave their Faith outside when acting as politicians. What an utter disgrace that man is.
@ anilwang
Unfortunately Mr Kenny`s legal and political philosophy (extreme legal positivism) is highly regarded among certain political elites in Europe. That is why he is going down that route. Ireland needs the European Union and its favour.
Pope Benedict XVI confronted the issue head on in his address to the German Parliament on 22nd September 2011
It can be accessed here: http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/speeches/2011/september/documents/hf_ben-xvi_spe_20110922_reichstag-berlin_en.html
No one has ever contradicted what he said.
Possibly because it is unanswerable.
So, his “personal belief” is that no ones “personal belief” should play any part in lawmaking…? It is my personal belief that the personal beliefs of fools and poltroons in high office should be honored with that most holy of bituminates, the Blessed Tars of La Brea, and adorned with the feathers of Wild Geese.
For my non-Irish Friends I herewith quote the beginning portion of our Irish Constitution:
CONSTITUTION OF IRELAND
(Enacted by the People 1st July, 1937)
(In operation as from 29th December, 1937)
“In the Name of the Most Holy Trinity, from Whom is all authority and to Whom, as our final end, all actions both of men and States must be referred,
We, the people of Éire, Humbly acknowledging all our obligations to our
Divine Lord, Jesus Christ, Who sustained our fathers through centuries of trial,
Gratefully remembering their heroic and unremitting struggle to regain the rightful
independence of our Nation,
And seeking to promote the common good, with due observance of Prudence, Justice and Charity, so that the dignity and freedom of the individual may be assured, true social order attained, the unity of our country restored, and concord established with other nations, Do hereby adopt, enact, and give to ourselves this Constitution.”
Thank you, Bosco, that preamble gives abundant answer to your PM. As far as Boston College inviting him to spread his heresy, all I can say is: They’re Jesuits. That’s what they do these days. It appears that it is their identity. Just pray there’s at least ONE Jesuit who cares about the integrity of the Magisterium of the Church with the Tradition handed down to him. I think you know which one I mean.
We seem to be fighting a losing battle in Ireland. On one hand we have a government that dismisses evidence and seems bereft of logic, on the other there is a laity far too passive to stand up and be counted in a democracy (there are rather a lot of clergy in that mould too). We need all the help we can get. Please, wherever you are, if you can spare some time for Ireland’s children, email our TDs and Senators. Open this link for email addresses – http://www.oireachtas.ie/viewdoc.asp?DocID=23771&CatID=138
If you have family or friends in Ireland, ask what they are doing to halt this evil govenment’s progress toward child sacrifice to placate the EU.
“Moral Principles do not depend on the majority vote. Wrong is wrong, even if everybody is wrong. Right is right, even if nobody is right,” – Venerable Fulton Sheen
“Those privileged to lead this, or any other democracy, will do so not as Catholic or Protestant or dissenter, but as men and women guided by and beholden to nothing but the law, the Constitution and above all, the people. … You will do so without fear or favour because your God, your personal faith, will sustain you.”
If you do something and insist you are not guided by or beholden to anything but the self-determined law of your country — that is, if you are not guided by or beholden to God — why can you say with confidence that God and your faith (which are not guiding your or holding you accountable) are “sustaining” you? How will God and your faith “sustain” you when you are passing legislation that goes against God and your faith?
I was disgusted to learn that the state senator who has a highly visible music ministry role at my church “supports abortion rights” and Cuomo’s proposed changes to state law, as quoted in the largest area newspaper. Our priest dutifully delivers the bishop’s messages asking us to write letters and make phone calls while this guy sits at the piano a few feet away where everyone can see. Meanwhile, my husband and I were shocked when we were told, by the priest who has seen us at mass every week for almost five years, that we would need to take a class in order to schedule our second child’s baptism. What is wrong with this picture???
No wonder so many Catholics don’t take our Church’s teachings seriously–our priests and bishops don’t either.
mamajen: Gosh! Invite the priest for dinner at your house and tell him what you think of all this. Get copies of papal and doctrinal documents about pro-abortion people, especially public figures, not being suitable for any ministry in the Catholic Church. Then have the baptism class for dessert.
Hope Little One is doing fine! :-)
Again the question arises: if the lawmakers’ are not supposed to use their personal ethics to guide their lawmaking — and a Christian lawmaker is going to have had his/her ethics formed in part by his or her religious beliefs — then what is the lawmaker supposed to use to discern which are the best laws to vote for and which are the best to vote against?
In the realm of abortion, they’re not using science as their guide. So if science is out, and religion is out, and ethics are out, then what criteria do these people feel is justified in making these decisions?
We’re well into the realm of The Abolition of Man, where CS Lewis said that we begin to lose our humanity when we make choice and freedom the ultimate goods. When freedom is all that matters, then we make decisions on the basis of whim only, or instinct only, and at that point we close the gap between ourselves and animals.
I suppose Enda Kenny is also using the death of the East Indian dentist, Savita Halappanava, due to sepsis following miscarriage as one of his arguments? If so, he is complying with the demands of the woman’s mother, who stated from India “How many more cases will there be? The rules should be changed as per the requirement of Hindus. We are Hindus, not Christians.”
Did anyone learn of the gender of the miscarried 17 week old baby? I could not find it anywhere in the media. Was the miscarriage the result of a back room sex selection abortion gone badly, and was this why the sepsis set in? If so, then the woman’s husband should be investigated as complicit. I thought there was more to this highly publicized story than we were given to understand. In Canada there is a disproportionately high number of male babies born to Southeast Asian mothers, and the conclusion of recent studies was that gender abortions were taking place in those communities.
I find this incredibly sad. My dad is from Ireland.. his whole family lives there. I havent been in about 10 years but the numerous times before you couldnt help but be struck by the Catholic-ness of that gorgeous country.
A few years ago on a ‘Catholic’ site an Irish man got mad at me for calling Ireland a catholic country….ugh. ..that was a badge of honor to the Irish not long ago.
My Catholic Irish grandfather is rolling over in his grave.
Mama Jen, Re baptism course: I was told that I it had been less than 5 years, that we did not need to retake the course.
We did not retake the course anyway, as it was our fourth baptism and I taught the sacrament myself in Rel Ed. I made a point out of this, kindly but firmly, because there are seemingly endless roadblocks for simple matters like this, all of which wear out the faithful and lead to the impression that the maintenance of the bureaucracy is moe important than the care of the souls. The Sacrament of Baptism has not changed, and now there are more children to be cared for by someone else while you go for a review.
It is just ridiculous.
If it walks like a freemason and talks like a freemason, maybe it is.
“Those privileged to lead this, or any other democracy, will do so not as Catholic or Protestant or dissenter, but as men and women guided by and beholden to nothing but the law, the Constitution and above all, the people…”
Yet again we see that when you ignore natural law and reason, you have nothing but rule by the Tyranny of the Majority. Might makes right.
I went back and watched the video of him using his cell phone. I think what the real situation was the bidding was closing on an item in EBAY and he was just checking to make sure he had the highest bid. So we should cut him some slack {NOT}.
BTW, did everyone notice in the video that at the end of Pope Benedict’s address he didn’t applaud. If the detestable Margaret Sanger was up there he would probably applaud the longest and the loudest.
I am most likely going back to Ireland in four weeks. Sadly, it is no longer a Catholic country. Those who think it is only need to live there for a few months.
The materialism of the Celtic Tiger in the early 2000s, made people greedy and crazy about getting rich quick. In addition, there were three generations of Catholics who did not study their Faith and were relying on a childlike interpretation. Therefore, when faced with the evils of secularism, people could not stand up against the onslaught.
Thanks be to God our bishops are fighting back. Check out their web site
http://www.catholicbishops.ie/
This morning at Mass the priest read out a statement from them clearly and unambiguously stating the Church’s position on abortion. It is very uplifting to hear such strong leadership from the Church. I nearly stood up and cheered.
Also there are an increasing number of very able lay people who are not afraid to write in to the newspapers putting the Catholic side of the debate.
A few politicians have said that they will definitely vote against the bill and hopefully more will join them.
All is not lost yet. People are praying –and fasting. With the bishops showing us the way by standing firm we can hope that this evil is not allowed to happen in our land.
@ philangelus: “So if science is out, and religion is out, and ethics are out, then what criteria do these people feel is justified in making these decisions?”
These people feel that their feelings are what justify their decisions. I’m only half joking.
Speaking of tyranny of the majority and religious freedom…I attended the N.O. in a parish in the D. of Worcester today. The pastor promoted the fact that there is going to be a Vespers service this Friday night at the Cathedral in Worcester for the start of the fortnight for freedom. I know there are a few readers here from that Diocese. I’m wondering if any of you have heard more about it and/or are planning to attend? I’ve never been to a Vespers Service before so I’m curious to know what it’s all about. The pastor that I talked to seemed to think that it would be the traditional Latin Vespers. I’ve tinkered with praying them alone at home, but have never had the opportunity to do so in church before. I’m afraid that I won’t know a “proper” Vesper Service from one that might be somehow slightly less proper. In other words, are there certain rubrics for Vespers? Or maybe I should just not fuss about it and get my duff out there and support anything that even hints of traditional in a very liberal state.
Pardon my residual newbie issues, but just looking for a little friendly advice or guidance…
Then let the Constitution and the law and the people save him. Two masters and all that.
The man is a buffoon. Lord knows, his two predecessors weren’t up to much, to put it very mildly, but they generally had the savvy (or rat-like cunning, more like) not to insert both feet into their gobs. Or at least not on a regular basis as this man does. Others have pointed out the sheer illlogic of what he is saying in respect of not bringing one’s personal belief into lawmaking. I’ll only add this, that by the same token we can also now demand of him that he insist that the socialistic, atheistic “credo” of his Labour Party partners in government should also be left at the door. That’ll be fun.
But I wouldn’t expect the nunce to get the point. You could put it to him (not that any of our media lefties would in any event) that his position is totally illogical, and still he would give you that fixed stare of “conviction” that some politicians have and go on “arguing” to the contrary. Sort of like Wile E Coyote when he runs off the cliff and his legs keep on moving. Except that Wile E eventually realises where he is before he falls. This guy is too thick to do even that.
But may the fall be soon, nonetheless.
OrthodoxChick, this is what was posted on the Diocesan website (after some poking around, finally found it). I would be very surprised if it was traditional Latin.
SOLEMN VESPERS TO OPEN FORTNIGHT FOR FREEDOM
The second annual Fortnight for Freedom will take place from June 21 through July 4. All are invited to join Bishop McManus in opening our diocesan observance of the Fortnight with Solemn Vespers, Eucharistic Adoration and Benediction on Friday, June 21 at 7 p.m. at St. Paul Cathedral, as we unite in fervent prayer to invoke the Lord’s help in safeguarding our fundamental religious liberties. Please join us! For more information on the Fortnight for Freedom, visit http://www.fortnightforfreedom.org.
[Note to pastors: please include the accompanying letter from Bishop McManus in your bulletin this weekend -also available online under Bulletin Inserts and letters. Please refer to the fax/email that was sent to all clergy on Friday, June 7 for additional information to assist you in planning for the Fortnight for Freedom in your parishes.]
In the past they have done Solemn Vespers with Latin sung pieces such as Mozart’s Te Deum Laudamus. Perhaps that what was the “Traditional Latin” being referred to.
John Patrick,
Thank you SO much. I tried poking around online, but struck out. I couldn’t find what you found above. And I still can’t decide about attending. Maybe I’ll have to call the chancery to see if I can get any extra details about the solemn Vespers portion of it.
ENDA IS A SOUPER!
Solemn Vespers in a Cathedral, (particularly joined with Exposition and Benediction), would reasonably be expected to be taken from the Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office, aka Breviary) which is the official prayer of the whole church and is mandated for all clergy and religious. The details for joining Vespers with Benediction are found in “Holy Communion and Worship of the Eucharist Outside of Mass” from the Congregation for Divine Worship, but in its basic form Adoration will likely begin in the normal way with singing “O Salutaris Hostia” then at some point during the period of exposition Vespers will be celebrated (with perhaps the Bishop presiding) in its usual manner. On that night this will mostly consist chanting of Psalms 135 in two sections each with antiphon, and singing the canticle from Revelation with an antiphon, these are followed by the scripture reading (and optional homily), responsory verse, then there is the Gospel Canticle with Antiphon, which for Vespers is the Magnificat, then there are prayers/intercessions (which could be chanted by the deacon at a solemn celebration) and finally the Our Father is recited before the last prayer…. Now here is where it changes a bit due to Benediction being used to close the celebration, the prayer will be omitted and instead all of the usual parts of Benediction follow (Tantum Ergo, Prayer, Blessing, Divine Praises, etc.) with the Benediction Prayer taking the place of that from Vespers and the blessing with the Eucharist in the monstrance taking the place of the typcial blessing and dismissal.
Or at least something reasonably close to that, as there are some legitimate options for some of the details. There should certainly be quite a good deal of singing and chanting, much reverence, nice vestments (copes, stole, humeral veil), incense, candles, the whole of the church throughout the world united in praying the same liturgy, and above all Christ present in the Blessed Sacrament. I suggest going. Even if not rubricly perfect, it should still be uplifting and edifying.