- An old man in Australia says he saw Cardinal Pell expose himself to boys in a locker room back in the 80s. He claims that he confronted Pell and reported the incident to the police. The old man could be lying now and he could have been lying back then. Cardinal Pell's main accusers from another incident are apparently not very successful men, and could easily be lying for money and attention. It could be possible that some enemy is just paying them to parrot whatever they've been coached to say. It could all be part of a plot to get Pell, whom just about everyone in Catholic blog land declares to be a staunch conservative, a good guy and "one of us."
On the other hand, it has to be admitted that there has been talk about Cardinal Pell for a long time now. There is one incident that is supposed to have occurred more than 50 years ago. You can't blindly defend a man because he's supposedly on your side in church matters. Conversely, it is very, very evil to wildly accuse a man of a vile sin against God and nature because he is not on your side in church matters.
I don't trust cases where there is not a shred of usable physical evidence or a corroborating witness but the accusers in this case say that they have been telling their stories for years and nobody paid them any mind. What is true? I say wait for the trial in this case. Let the testimony be stated openly in court and pray that the judge(s?) and jury (if there will be one) are not hopeless anti Catholics but decent, fair and intelligent people. If Cardinal Pell has a good lawyer he should be able to shred the accusers to bits if their story has any weak points.
I'm not ready to get the pitchforks and tar out yet but I'm not ready to get on the "Stand by our man. This is all an evil plot by Pope Francis and the liberals in Australia. Deus vult, let's ride!," bandwagon either. Somebody is going to be left with egg on their faces at best and souls are going to be lost at worst.
Oh Mary, Seat of Wisdom, pray for us. Arise Oh Lord, and let Thy enemies be scattered. Let them that hate Thee, flee before Thy holy face.
- I was a Mass a few weeks ago and suddenly smelled what seemed like manure boiling over a campfire. I looked up, utterly astounded. A few other ladies shifted and looked around. The men stared stoically ahead. One of the ushers sitting in front of me clenched his jaw and sat up a little straighter. I whispered to Rocky, "Do you smell that?" He nodded and shrugged and jumped up with the other ushers to get the collection baskets. It got worse and worse and I was about to go sit elsewhere when a tiny little voice a few pews ahead of me spoke up. "I pee pee!" The toddler reached into his diaper bag and waved a fresh(?) one over his head. People chuckled and there were some sympathetic smiles while the child's mother grabbed him and ran for the rest room. A gentle breeze from the open stained glass window wafted fresh air over us and suddenly it was time for Communion. God is good.
- When you have free healthcare paid for by the government your body belongs to the State. Some official decides if you are worth treating and if it makes more financial sense to either let you die or kill you slowly. Once the State decides you must die you will not be allowed to try for private treatment. When you belong to the State you belong until you die. Period.
- I visited a Catholic discussion group and was disappointed because despite the valiant efforts of the moderator several posters kept doing things like refusing to stick to the point of a particular discussion and doggedly harping about their own magnificent obsessions. Some people were rude to the African Catholics who asked questions (this appalled me), and the final straw came when I read comments from male posters carrying on like teen-aged girls over how manly the Eastern rite priests look compared to Latin rite priests. Whoah! Whenever I see that kind of talk in a Catholic discussion group I am gone like the wind. I unregistered quick, fast and in a hurry as my husband would say.
- Stay strong. God is in command.
- The conservatives aren't coming to save us.