Daphne McLeod, in writing to Cardinal Burke after he had cancelled the talk he was due to give, mentioned that Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice had enemies who were actively working to undermine the group.
It is true that the advertising of the Cardinal's talk was rather unwise, and might have been sufficient on its own to cause the Cardinal to withdraw. However, anyone who is in any doubt that the group is being actively attacked need only to see the news in today's Catholic Herald blog. Mark Greaves reports that Westminster Methodist Hall were told that a spokesman for Westminster Cathedral had confirmed that Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice were not the kind of people who should speak in Westminster Hall.
Oh really?
A spokesman from Westminster Cathedral?
Is this the same Westminster Cathedral which hosted the concert "The 99 Beautiful Names"? Or perhaps it's the same Cathedral which hosted the book launch for The Gospel According to Judas... Or, dare I say that it might even be the same Cathedral which allowed a sequel to the anti-Catholic film Elizabeth to be filmed inside its premises... Or is it the Cathedral which hosted a meeting of the Parkinson's Disease Society (a Society which advocates the destruction of human embryos and the creation of human-animal hybrid embryos)?
It seems that Daphne isn't quite as paranoid as one might think...
In place of Cardinal Burke, they invite a Gruner groupie and an anti-semite geocentrist. Quite astonishingly, appallingly mad. Mad.
ReplyDeleteNo wonder Abp Nichols sent signals to Westminster Hall. You or I would have done the same.
Poor Daphne McLeod. She has done so much good work in the past. This is infinitely sad.
Hear, hear Mac. You make several excellent points, whatever the status of the substitute speakers.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to know who this "spokesman" was. It seems unlikely that it was anyone senior.
ReplyDeleteMaybe I should get in touch with Methodist Central Hall to let them know they've been ill advised about PEeP. I also belong to another group that uses the Hall quite a bit, and feel like advising this organisation to stop using the conference centre in protest.
PS - I do agree with Londiniensis, too... The speakers invited to replace Card Burke do seem to be very eccentric characters at best.
ReplyDeleteYou have made some excellent points. This is one blog post that I've re-read three times. God bless always. Many prayers for PEeP and all involved.
ReplyDeleteI rather doubt it was a direct approach to Central Hall; more like a nod to the Lone Ranger and Tonto.
ReplyDeleteI can sympathise with PEeP's determination not to be beaten down, but it's a pity the conference wasn't cancelled in the first instance which would have gained the moral victory.
Easily said in hindsight, I know. The best one can do for this excellent organisation is to pray and to send them a donation, however modest.
For this person in the pew what is disturbing about the current Westminster modus operandi is the propensity for whispering campaigns in tandem with outright bullying.
It is outright bullying - fullstop. If this was the "Stand up for Vatican 2" group or any other group, like the one that caused grief for Fr. Tim Finigan a few years ago, you can bet the Archbishop would have sat there and did nothing.
ReplyDeleteMore proof that the lunatics are in charge of the asylum.
Maybe it's time to ask whose reputation has really been salvaged - http://thepathlesstaken7.blogspot.com/2011/06/cancelled-peep-talk-cork-connection.html
ReplyDeleteThe person who brought the matter up with Methodist Central Hall was a Pro Ecclesia Pro Pontifice member himself, who was concerned that Robert "JP2 is in hell and Benedict is a neo-Catholic" Sungenesis and Fr Paul "Vatican II is Satanic" Kramer was being given a platform to express their heresy.
ReplyDeleteIf this was a liberal organisation, we would all be cheering on.
Heresy has no rights. Whatever group it comes from.
As one who was looking forward to Card Burke's speech, I'm glad the conference is now cancelled.
Westminster Cathedral btw - is also the very same Cathedral where the liturgy is excellent, where holy orthodox priests serve and preach the Catholic faith, and is a musical beacon for Cathedrals throughout the world. (Just to present the other side to your litany of lament...)
Sorry, Mac, I'm afraid I agree with Londoniensis and Justin. Just because the cathedral has got things wrong in the past doesn't mean that they're not right in this case. And quite apart from this fiasco, Daphne McLeod's approach is far too strident - it's not the way to win hearts and minds.
ReplyDeleteJustin -
ReplyDeleteThe person who brought the matter up with Methodist Central Hall was a Pro Ecclesia Pro Pontifice member himself
It's a shame that this person didn't have the courage to tell this to Daphne herself, instead of leaving Central Hall to say that it was some spokesman from the Cathedral.
As it so happens, I understand totally why Cardinal Burke felt he had to withdraw, and I don't agree with the choice of replacement speakers, but, given the groups and publications that HAVE been welcomed by the Cathedral authorities (and, in the case of The Suppository, they still do so) I feel that PEeP has been treated rather shabbily in being subjected to a whispering campaign. There are better ways to deal with this sort of thing. THAT was the point of my post.