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Post by Young Ireland on Oct 30, 2012 15:46:40 GMT
Anybody see the documentary on BBC1 last nght?
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Post by assisi on Oct 31, 2012 0:05:12 GMT
Anybody see the documentary on BBC1 last nght? Yes, saw most of it. I thought Fr D'Arcy came across as quite naive and uncertain in some ways. He kept talking about reflecting the views of the people but tended not to recognise that not all of the people would agree with him. It showed a brief discussion with Fr McKevitt? of the ALIVE free newspaper where Fr D'Arcy told him that he was not in agreement with some of the things in the paper. Fr McKevitt at one point said that there was no substance to Fr D'Arcy's reforms and that they were 'candy floss'. After this Fr D'Arcy said that his conversation with Fr McKevitt was like talking to a closed mind. The irony of this was that Fr D'Arcy seemed equally deaf to an alternative view. He seemed to be constantly looking for direction (continue priesthood or leave because of Vatican censure) and ended up talking to a variety of friends including the actor who played Faher Jack in Father Ted. Concluded by staying a priest and being true to himself (i.e. still calling for reform). I wish him well but would point out that for every liberal he may please by his writings in the Sunday World, there will be more orthodox Catholics that will be pained by what he writes.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 4, 2012 15:57:55 GMT
I had very little time for Fr. D'Arcy before the programme, now I have a lot of time for him. I agree with everything Assisi wrote. My concern is that the man is clearly in crisis and questioning his whole life. Showbiz is a vacuous life and perhaps his involvement there has led him to try to please his 'audience' all the time. His conversation with Fr. McKevitt showed his goal was more about agreeing with his flock than teaching them. He criticised Fr. McKevitt and his complex theology (in Alive!) which can hardly be accused of that. However good teachers can simplify great truths, as Jesus did with his parables. Even in the 50's Archbishop Sheen was a great man for telling stories and jokes to get Church teaching across to the masses. He had 20 million people watching him on tv, it can be done even today without dumbing it down!
He seems to be very lonely and I wish that more priests, whether they agree with him or not, would reach out to him. No wonder he is getting more entrenched in his views, he's very isolated, perhaps he'd feel better living with a community. The saddest part of the whole thing was that he spoke incessantly about the Church but never once mentioned Jesus, Our Lady, Mass, salvation. He criticised the Church for her bureacracy and clericalism but that's all he went on about himself, he didn't mention God but once I think. No wonder he's questioning his life if he has forgotten about God. I will pray for his peace of mind and heart. I'm ashamed of my impatience and crankiness towards him up to this point, quite ashamed indeed. I hope his superior watched that programme, saw how down and anxious Fr. D'Arcy is and steps in to help him.
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Post by hibernicus on Nov 4, 2012 16:32:27 GMT
I think he is living in a community - his Wikipedia entry says he is rector of the Passionist retreat centre just outside Enniskillen and I believe there is a community there.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 4, 2012 17:30:24 GMT
I think he is living in a community - his Wikipedia entry says he is rector of the Passionist retreat centre just outside Enniskillen and I believe there is a community there. I missed the first few minutes but from his complaints to the Fr. Jack actor I thought he was being moved from pillar to post every few months. At the end he announced at Mass that he would be staying in his current place for 5 years. The church looked like a small parish church with families there. I'm very tired at the moment though so I may have lost concentration and misunderstood his situation since the censure.
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