Our new beatus, Fr. John Sullivan SJ, was apparently a "half-Protestant, half-Catholic" because he converted from the Church of Ireland. (The Church of Ireland is our branch of Anglicanism, or Episcopalianism in America.)
The Irish Times seize on this phrase from the postulator of his cause (sadly, all-too-typical of a modern-day Jesuit), and spins a whole narrative from it.
It suggests that this beatification is only possible because of the arrival of Pope Francis. Forgetting that Pope Benedict beatified John Henry Newman, the most famous Anglican convert of them all.
A truly cheap shot.
A biased article, but at least they didn't ignore the whole thing
ReplyDeleteIndeed, that was my first reaction-- it seems to have got coverage in most of the media outlets, thank God.
Delete... and when it comes to making headlines it's hard to compete with dancing gorillas
ReplyDeleteI had to look that up to know what you were talking about!
DeleteI must say, when Mary McKillop was beatified in 1995 and again when she was canonised in 2010, the Australian secular media seemed quite mesmerized by the whole thing and most of the coverage was positive. Of course she was often portrayed as someone who had to fight against the bishops, which did have some basis (but she always fought in a respectful manner) which may have aided her popularity somewhat. Founders in that era often pioneered structures that seemed unusual at the time,a few canonised Saints had friction with bishops.
ReplyDeleteThe Irish Times link you gave led to a link to a link about the Norbertine order late last year ceasing to say public Mass in Ireland. Of interest: The superior is Fr Fitzgerald who is Australian and was stationed in Perth, the order is actually in Queens Park, about two suburbs away from where I live. Unfortunate for those who have to live with the bad choices of others; there was a genuine crisis in their case.
But we have another saint to help now, remember us over here ,also, next time you're in Gardner Street.
Also, Mary McKillop was a sheila, which is another point in her favour-- a "woman who stepped outside the accepted role", etc. etc.
DeleteYes, indeed, another Irishman in Heaven!
Her "rebelliousness" is usually exaggerated though.
ReplyDeleteI was just thinking this morning about Bl John, and I know we've all discussed the traditional Latin Mass more than you probably like, but his attraction to Mt Athos is quite unusual, and then he became a (Catholic, of course but also a...) Jesuit, not a monk, and not a[n] (more ' high liturgical') Oratorian (for example). But the Roman rite at the time had the full sense of the sacred still, whether celebrated by active Jesuits or Benedictine monks or regular clergy.
I couldn't help wondering: Had the saint been going through his conversion experience during the era of the NovusOrdo Mass: Would he have still decided to become a ROMAN Catholic? We assume he would still become a Catholic(ie. Joined a church that was in union with the Pope of Rome) rather than the orthodox Churches of Mt Athos, but would the sense of sacredness, which is perhaps a bit more obvious now in the Eastern church been too hard to resist?? I'm not sure, historically, how 'open' they were in his day to 'westerners' let alone Anglicans.
In the early 2000s an Irishman was ordained in Perth for the Melkite church.
I'm just off to the Latin Mass right now! Decided it was time.
DeleteI'd like to think a saint would be drawn to the true Church in any era, but I suppose saints are mwde, not born. It's unknowable, I guess.