I watch them float about, beautiful swish t the lowing gowns…more solid gold around their necks than it seems physically possible to carry without developing a stoop!
But then again, did the weight of guilt and shame cause this red carpet crowd t stoop or even look down with the collective guilt they bore abuse in the church, the perpetuation of the behaviour and the hiding of the criminals involved? no!
what does Helen do?
She suggests maybe her view of catholicism or her pic n mix version of it, is perhaps Vatican 3…and that I have just arrived there before the Church!
I decided as the catholic I choose to be, one who feels the sacraments suit me-generally and the ones which don’t , quite frankly ignore. I abhor the church establisment, wealth and the concept that the heirarchy feel above the law. But it is the faith I follow – not the rules!
So now I have to decide what I think would be conscience comfortable, still recognised at catholicism, and yet 21st Century life worthy…
1. Get rid of the reversion to those old prayers! The world is moving forward, why does the Church appear to move backwards?
2. Scrap the couple of days of fast and abstinence! Dear God, what way does that make me a better person? Would only be whinging and begrudging and to be honest giving my kids an association between food and bad!
3. Confession. I don’t do confession yet I do DO confession. I just think that my vision of God is NOT of someone who needs a go-between to translate what bothers me. So my own conscience and my reflection on what I do…that’s my confession. And its more personal.
4. Lent. For god’s sake! Life is short and it is bloody hard enough! Why do we need particular days to be punitive, or perhaps to try harder- sure I feel like EVERY day is like that!
5. Holidays. Most people work and have school on Holy Days. So realistically they have to be aimed at the morning Mass – the retirees- the 10 o’clock massers. When I was at school, there used be the odd holy day off, or do Mass in school…so I think they aren’t really marked anymore for majority of working families!
6. Judgements about who CAN and can’t receive Communion. This really gets on my wick. Society today has many complex family situations. Why are only first time married, or remarried to a widow, allowed to get communion? You could for the sake of argument be standing up there receiving communion as a murderer, a paedophile, and yet the decent long term married again couple- with great faith are NOT supposed to be welcome. Ranks on my nerves that one does….bIg TIME…this is life in 21st century family structure.
7. A fulsome and transparent investigation allowed and dealing with the heinous crimes committed by the priests against children. The letter
which the now retired Pope, was inadequate and did NOT admit and apologise properly to victims who’s lives were ruined by abuse. And that compounded by mismanagement of the abusers is unforgivable! SORT it OUT!
8. Space in the church for free choice- make allowance fot the individual to choose suggest the stance , do not prescribe rules….we may have been “sheep” in the bible but fo
gods sake waken up! We are far from sheepish no
w!hat’s all…
Is that much to ask?
So any journos reading….go away!
Helen x
at least i have a brain 
Lent has to stay. Lent falls at the ideal time, after the excesses of sweet stuff at Christmas with the abundance of cakes, sweets, pies, chocolate. Those of us with a sweet tooth just can’t resist continuing to gorge. In Lent the girls cut out sweet stuff too – I don’t ask if it’s for religious reasons. Hubbie refused to cut down his choc consumption much to girl’s annoyance! He had the cheek to buy 10 bars last week – special offer!! A few days later he was in pain, had an abscess on his tooth – that cut down his choc intake for a few days, and made us wonder was he being struck down for refusing to partake in the family Lenten campaign…. There must be some sort of a deity the doubting one said!! So Lent is a must, for me it’s total withdrawal of anything with chocolate and cut down on the sweet stuff, of course Mother’s Day is an exception, and maybe St Patrick’s Day too, and there may be the odd “special occasion”. But without Lent I’d be Bessie Bunter, the first week is the hardest, but after that it’s easier! Had a bad day today – too many yummy croissants at the Rare Disorders without Borders event, then after a trek around the shops I had to have a pastry with my tea in the cafe before I went back on train……so much so that I felt ill on the train! Serves me right. But Lent has to stay!!