What is in Kelvin's Head?

  • The Hope of my Roman Catholic Friends

    I know so many Roman Catholics. I minister to a lot of Roman Catholics. A number of Roman Catholics minister to me, bringing me life and joy and love.

    Those relationships mean that I live with their hope.

    The news that the pope was going to retire brought that hope out into the open. It is an extraordinary moment where a conservative pope has, in his last major act, redefined the papacy as we know it for our lifetimes. From now on, those who select a pope will not presume that person must go on through the weariness of old age to death. They have new expectations that could well lead to younger popes and that makes the hopes of those I love rise.

    And that hope is almost unbearable to behold.

    I’ve just heard that Keith Patrick O’Brien has resigned in the wake of a number of allegations being made against him by three priests and an ex-priest. (Such talk has been doing the round privately for some time). I understand that he disputes these allegations.

    The Roman Catholic Church needs now to say how these allegations will be investigated. The now ex-Cardinal’s resignation doesn’t remove the need for those who have brought these allegations to hear the truth spoken, whatever that truth may be.

    Though I am not immediately with Roman Catholic friends, I can feel their hope rising for a different kind of leadership.

    The opposition that the Roman Catholic Church has made to gay couples being able to be married has been pretty vile and some things that have been said have come from the mouth of Keith Patrick O’Brien who was named a Stonewall’s Bigot of the Year in 2012. If these allegations are proved to be true, people will call him worse than that this time. If not, then he has been unjustly and horribly accused.

    I take no pleasure from his departure and I don’t think I know anyone in any of the churches who will. This brings none of us any good.

    Today I bind my prayers with the aching hopes of so many Roman Catholics I love. And I leave all I say and think about these things there.

    , , ,

6 responses to “Hung!”

  1. Tim Avatar
    Tim

    All very well saying Labour have “lost their mandate to govern” when he’s not actually gained one either…

    I guess a hung parliament has been most likely for the past few weeks, much as one might wish for a happier colour. I’ll bear the rest of your predictions in mind for later though 🙂

    Reply
  2. Aaron Avatar
    Aaron

    Here in Canada we’ve had a minority government for five years now, with little sign of it falling. The Conservative PM is pretty bland, but the Liberals have the least inspiring leader you could imagine and the NDP are lead by a nutter. (And the Bloc isn’t national.) The opposition parties don’t want to trigger an election, because they fear that the voters would blame them for having to trudge to the polls. That and they’re even less popular than our lackluster PM.

    I think a minority government works, actually, simply because the governing party has to seek consensus. (And, in our case, the opposition parties have to as well.) Then again, I’m from the States where the President needs Congress and the voters often elect them from opposite parties.

    Reply
  3. David | Dah•veed Avatar
    David | Dah•veed

    Off Topic –

    I am surprised that you have not said anything at MadPriest’s post about you. Especially since it has such a large photo.

    Reply
  4. ryan Avatar
    ryan

    I saw that photo too! Kelvin does look a bit camp in it.

    Reply
    1. kelvin Avatar
      kelvin

      Camp?

      Moi?

      Reply
  5. ryan Avatar
    ryan

    Well, it’s not as butch as the Italian Vanity Fair photos 😉

    Reply

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