The Persecution of Bishop De Angelis

Here We Go Again - Ontario's Version of Stephen Boissoin

It dawned on me some time ago, that as I blog about Human Rights victimization, I was giving time to the wrong guy in the case I have written about recently. The victim is Bishop De Angelis, not the other guy, making claims against him and the 12 so called bad guys.

Anyway, Walker over at the Lynch Mob has come to much the same conclusion, so I will not steal his thunder. You can read what he has to say here, then I will add my own 10 cents worth.

Walker posts a section from the Complainant's blog, and I have already told you that I can empathise with Mr. Corcoran, and his feelings, and I can. But there is more, much more.

Walker spoke of his life in the Anglican and Lutheran churches, and though probably somewhat similar, not the same. I have seen life in the Catholic Church, and have seen established parishes and parishioners when a new priest upsets the apple cart, so a little background is in order.

St. Michael's Parish in Cobourg is the site of the excommunication of Fr. Ed Cachia in early 2006 over his insistence to keep to his teaching on the ordination of women, which is contrary to Catholic Church teaching. You think that might have upset the parishioners a bit, in stable, relatively peaceful Cobourg, Ontario.

2 1/2 years later, Fr. Alan Hood KCHS arrives on the scene. It may surprise some readers to know that within a Catholic Parish, the parish council serves at the behest of the parish priest. It basically does his bidding. Some priests take this seriously, and rule. Some are more collegial.

In a parish that I attended here in London, Ontario a parish priest arrived and immediately started to dictate to the music ministers what mass parts they would sing. It happened that the one choir director and I had written mass parts particularly for the choir we were involved with and the parishioners at that particular mass. The people enjoyed them and felt a part of the mass, as they captured the mood and sentiment of that part of the congregation. No, he wanted a certain American writer's mass parts and he bullied all music directors to adopt them, using a particular excuse that when followed up proved false. As well, other things went like this. It was his fiefdom, and eventually people left for other churches if they chose to. It happens. Priests are people too, and can be as petty as any of their parishioners.

One of the things that the Catholic Church does not do well is recognise the pain that its people are in from time to time. When a child dies at school, like Tori Stafford so tragically in Woodstock this year, grief counsellors descend on the school to comfort and counsel the students and teachers. When Fr. Ed Cachia was excommunicated and the parishioners of St. Michael's lost their friend and pastor, who counselled them on their grief, and who has counselled them yet?

So, it sounds like Fr. Hood comes in 2 1/2 years later makes some changes, good or bad, and runs into resistance. You think? Could have seen that one coming.

You know there are two sides to every story. The big problem with a Human Rights complaint though is they only care about one.

So, if Jim Corcoran is a Gay activist who happens to think of himself as a Catholic, no one will ever get to hear the whole story.

But, if Jim Corcoran is a man of deep Catholic Faith, who also happens to be gay, we might. I hope he is.

But, I am hedging my bets, and I am going to tell you some more of the story tomorrow.