After Professor Tina Beattie signed a letter in The Times which was at variance with Catholic teaching, her invitation to speak at Clifton Cathedral was withdrawn. Given that Prof. Beattie has never made any secret of her opinions, one might wonder why she was asked to speak in the first place.
Be that as it may, it was encouraging that Clifton diocese had seen how untenable it would be to have such a speaker scheduled. Prof. Beattie explained to the Catholic Herald that she was saddened by the cancellation, but that, after discussion, she understood it and accepted the reasons for it.
The Pill editorial has allowed itself an interesting slip in its haste to rush to Prof. Beattie's defense.
After noting that the letter to The Times distorted the words of Cardinal Hume in order to make it appear that SSM was not incompatible with Catholic teaching, and suggesting that the Bishop of Clifton might have thought this indicated a lack of good faith, the editor goes on to state that, "...apart from that consideration... the cancellation of the lecture was indefensible."
Sorry? Run that by me again...
A letter, signed by Prof. Beattie, deliberately uses a selective quote from Cardinal Hume to bolster the idea that it is possible to accept same-sex marriage as not being contrary to Catholic teaching, (because it's all about love, really...) and Professor Beattie says that she stands by the contents of the letter... and then The Pill tries to suggest that the Bishop's decision is indefensible???
I don't think so. As Leutgeb has pointed out, no other organisation would accept this level of dissent from an employee or member.
What is indefensible is the fact that The Pill can write this tripe and still claim to be Catholic.
What seems to me equally bizarre is that the Tablet actually wants to call itself Catholic when it is clearly so anti-Church.
ReplyDeleteI am saddened by the fact that a lot of Catholics I know buy said publication because "it's good for the news" (and the book reviews)despite knowing and disagreeing with its anti-Catholic standpoint. There is really no excuse when there are now so many good Catholic news resources online.
Incidently Prof Beattie claims that the letter "did not commit any of the signatories to a position for or against same-sex civil marriage." (Catholic Herald online 11/09/2012) You could have fooled me.
I'm not joking when I blame Hitler. He made any intolerance unacceptable. If he had hated, publicly denounced, and killed child-molesters, they would now be on the liberal list of loveys. Perhaps he did, and they are.
ReplyDeleteEveryone, the Church included, must at least seem to be liberal. Only very Orthodox Jews and Muslims and a few Protestants seem prepared to draw lines in the sand.
For this placing of God above political acceptability, they have my great respect and admiration.
Yes, I know quite a few people who take The Tablet, despite being strongly opposed to the line that it takes on almost every issue concerning faith or morals. Often they read it to see what the "other side" is thinking.
ReplyDeleteI would urge all those people to cancel their subscriptions. I wuold also urge all parishes that stock The Tablet to cancel their order. That way, this dreadful newspaper would soon have to cease publication.
It's a bit like the comment "Yes Mrs Lincoln, but apart from the assassination what did you think of the play?"
ReplyDeleteCathedrals and churches which stock the Pill appear to put Mammon before God....they get a discount on issues sold.
ReplyDeletePurchasers seem not to realise that they may be cooperating in sin by buying it.
Please join the "Justice for Tina" campaign!
ReplyDeletehttp://ecclesandbosco.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/justice-for-tina.html
Brilliant post Mac!
ReplyDeleteThis travesty of fake Catholics parading their dissent has been going on since The Tablet split with Humanae Vitae.
ReplyDeleteGood post. But, this will continue until the inner cabal of liberals either give up and go to Ireland, which is happily turning into the nest for dissidents, or they go home to God.
The Church in England has been weakened not only by outward dissent such as Ms. Tina, but weak pastors who do not stand up for the Truth and let heresy continue.
When the shepherds are weak, the sheep are scattered and become prey...
I find the "I read it for the book reviews" an idiotic justification for purchasing a publication.
ReplyDelete