The "alleged" Jesus tomb: hear a real scholar!

"Morning Ireland" on RTE Radio 1 weekday mornings is the radio programme with the largest audience in Ireland. This morning, they jumped on the bandwagon to add to the enormous amount of publicity James Cameron has generated.

To their credit, they made a phone call to Jerusalem to talk to someone who REALLY knows the score, Fr. Jerome Murphy-O'Connor.

Here is the link to the programme's archive page: scroll about halfway down.

A reminder that there's more to marriage than just a fancy ceremony. . .

In The Irish Catholic of last weekend, issue dated Thursday 15th February, the front page story had the headline IRISH "WEDDING TOURISTS" COULD FACE CROATIA BAN.

The paper actually hits the streets late Wednesday, so this story got coverage in Thursday's edition of the Irish Examiner. And thus got a far wider audience.

The bulk of the story is here from catholicireland.net

The story is that the Irish Bishops' Conference got a letter from the Diocese of Dubrovnik about the issue of Irish couples wanting to get married in Dubrovnik, mainly because it's a nice place to take photos, and the weather is generally much nicer than it is in Ireland. Not because either bride or groom has any real connection with the place. In other words, to them, the marriage is a social event first, not a sacrament.

The letter says that "wedding candidates put our parish priests under a lot of pressure arranging wedding ceremonies and booking place tickets and hotels before getting all the necessary papers. . . We think that it would be very useful, for pastoral reasons, to discourage those who want to get married outside their parishes, dioceses and country".

The letter goes on to ask: ". . . we will insist also, that they bring a priest with them to perform the wedding ceremony and be a witness at the ceremony".

What I especially like is that they are not afraid to raise the key issues of receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation before the Sacrament of Marriage; "it seems that a number of them do not go to Confession at all, including invited guests and still go to receive Holy Communion"; and dress code, especially for ladies.

This is really a by-product of the Celtic Tiger; also, a good number of Irish people have basically forgotten that marriage is a sacrament (or maybe they were never taught that in the first place) and it's not just a social event.

Though I have heard stories that if you're getting married here, you have to book the church and/or reception up to a year in advance. And it must also be said that getting married in Ireland can be very expensive, depending on how many guests you have at the reception.

But I've never been invited to a wedding in Dubrovnik. Maybe if I got invited to one, with all expenses paid, I might feel differently!

If this doesn't make you laugh, then I feel sorry for you!

Last weekend, I bought my usual copy of The Irish Catholic, issue dated Thursday 4th January 2007, and read something that nearly made me die laughing.

It's by author and journalist Aubrey Malone, who regularly writes film reviews. But with tongue firmly in cheek, he has come up with "Movie Predictions for 2007".

Grateful thanks to Editor Garry O'Sullivan for permission to reproduce here.




JANUARY

Shirley MacLaine claims Marlon Brando has come back to life as her new goldfish. Plans biopic to mark the occasion.

Jack Black signs contract with Columbia to make 17 films about a dysfunctional vegetable salesman with cross-dressing issues.

Julia Roberts gets a barring order against Danny Moder because he keeps wearing the same turquoise shirt.

Kevin Costner to make new 4-hour epic about shoelaces.


FEBRUARY

New James Bond for the screen, with orange hair.

Jennifer Aniston changes her name to Jennifer Jolie to annoy Brad Pitt.

Burt Reynolds announces screen comeback, as a chimpanzee.

Robert de Niro in Raging Bull prequel, Raging Calf. The make-up will take 3 years.

Robert Downey Junior becomes barman in Betty Ford Clinic.

Sean Penn announces he will appear in John Lennon biopic. To get "into" the part he's going to have himself shot for real, with five rounds of ammunition. He's to receive $20,000 for the part, but his medical bills will be another $150 million onto that.


MARCH

Robert de Niro cameos in Fair City.

Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger to make a film about a couple who are trying to murder one another. Baldwin accuses the director of typecasting.

National Enquirer scoop: "James Dean Spotted Shooting Up In The Viper Room".

Vince Vaughan moves in with Brad Pitt.

Jennifer Aniston and Angelina Jolie announce plans for new chick flick.


APRIL

Matt Damon sues the Enquirer for accusing him of being interesting. In a startling court development, he wins the case after removing his glasses in front of the jury.

Nick Nolte plays binliner in new Oscar-nominated blockbuster which will also feature Ashton Kutcher as a soother.

Robert de Niro does cameo in The Simpsons.

Latest Enquirer exclusive: Elvis Plotted To Assassinate Marilyn Monroe.

New Michael Barrymore biopic mooted. Barrymore applies to play the lead role but is rejected because deemed to be "too tall".


MAY

Kiera Knightley to star as the new "Jane" Bond. (Pierce Brosnan now wants to be Q).

Jack Black announces he's currently shooting Dodgeball 2 - he will play the ball.

Quentin Tarantino to cut mother's arm off in new martial arts flick. "She's philosophical about it", he explains, "she knows it's in the cause of art".


JUNE

Michael Jackson to play the part of a toy train in new Disney "vehicle".

Jessica Simpson sells her teeth for a record six figure sum. They're to be used as piano keys in a Liberace biopic.

National Enquirer scoop: "I Saw Neil Jordan Smile". Jordan, in his defence, says it was unintentional. "I tried to grimace and it went wrong". He wants to re-shoot the piece of footage in question.

Robert de Niro to audition for The X Factor.

Elsewhere, Oliver Stone announces details of his new John F. Kennedy movie which claims that JFK was a love-child of Adolf Hitler and conspired with Marilyn Monroe to assassinate Fidel Castro. "It will be the usual meat and two veg affair", says Stone to a bunch of critics attending a sneak preview in Cannes.


JULY

Tom Cruise says he wants to re-marry Katie Holmes, the ceremony to take place on the sofa on Oprah.

Sequel to The Da Vinci Code planned with the Pope as the assassin of a curator in this version.

Charlize Theron says she'll marry Stuart Townsend in 2019. A caterer in Howth has been inked in to make the wedding cake.

Elvis Presley comes back from the grave to make new movie: I Shot John Lennon.


AUGUST

Angelina Jolie adopts 37 babies from Biafra as Brad Pitt loads up on the Pampers in his local Starbucks. Brad has third thoughts about his second thoughts about Angelina Jolie, thereby reverting to his first ones.

New re-make of Jaws mooted, with Jay Leno in title role.


SEPTEMBER

Oprah Winfrey suggests Brad Pitt should marry Katie Holmes. Holmes in tabloid rumour of relationship with Angelina Jolie.

Warren Beatty attends birth of next wife.

Sharon Stone to appear in another Basic Instinct sequel, this time as the ice pick.

Sean Penn says he still loves Madonna and is going to name his first ulcer after her.

Demi Moore appears in new movie fully clothed, but nobody recognises her.

Brokeback Mountain sequel planned. This time Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhall will be straight, but the horse will be gay.


OCTOBER

Ben Affleck publishes his autobiography but publishers reject it when they find it contains just one sentence: "My name is Ben Affleck".

Robert de Niro to guest-host Tubridy Tonight.

National Enquirer sensation: "Elvis Had JFK Wiped Out Because Of Secret Infatuation With Marilyn".

Ben Stiller inked in for sequel to Meet The Parents - Meet The Divorce Attorneys.

Madonna becomes born-again atheist.

Cher dedicates her latest song to her plastic surgeon: "Everytime You Go Away (You Take A Part Of Me With You)".


NOVEMBER

Jessica Simpson drops out of Helen Keller biopic because: "I couldn't remember the dialogue".

Catherine Zeta Jones agrees to auction Michael Douglas' zimmer frame for charity.

National Enquirer scoop: "Marilyn Monroe And Elvis Presley Still Alive And About To Make New Movie In Catskills". It will be about a bunch of extra terrestrials trying to take over Hollywood and turn it into a theme park for demented cyborgs.


DECEMBER

Bob Dylan to appear in a movie about his life, but refuses to talk to the director because "He keeps asking me questions about myself".

Ben Affleck nominated for Oscar for playing a wardrobe in latest David Lynch chiller.

National Enquirer scoop: "Marlon Brando Populated The Entire Island Of Tetiorea".

New James Bond for the screen - with pink feet.

Sienna Miller dating Jude Law's babysitter.

Angelina Jolie delivers Brad Pitt's baby. They call it Brangelina. Nobody is quite sure if it's a boy or girl. "What does it matter if the name fits", Brad tells interviewers at the hospital.

Tom Cruise allows Katie Holmes to get pregnant, but only on condition that she promises to keep quiet during the birth.

Agenda for 2007!

Happy New Year to you all, and sorry for being away from here so long.

So 2007 has arrived, and I have decided on my New Year's Resolutions for 2007.

Answer: none whatsoever, so I don't have to go through the demotivating experience of failure.


So what's happening in 2007? Well, in Ireland, the first main event looks like being the General Election, which will probably be in either April, May or June this year. It won't be too early in the year, because the weather won't be as good and that might cause a small turnout; and it won't be in July or August because many people go on holidays then as our schools will be closed. So my prediction is May.

What looks interesting about this year is the prospect of what the Irish Independent described last week as Ireland's "dirtiest" EVER General Election.

Fianna Fail, in their bid to stay in power, have engaged an American political consulting firm named Shrum, Devine, Donilan. And the largest opposition party, Fine Gael, have taken on board a different American firm of gurus, Greenberg, Quinlan, Rosner.

If you have an interest in psephology, I recommend visiting Elections Ireland, to which I have linked in the sidebar.

Before the General Election, in Spring, we will have the Six Nations' rugby Championships, and a good performance here by Ireland could result in much hype and expectation for the Rugby World Cup in the autumn.

In Ireland, the "ordinary" people play Gaelic football, hurling, or soccer, and spectate at horse racing. Rugby was always just behind these in popularity, but the success in the last few years, culminating in Munster's European Cup success in 2006, has been a huge boost for the sport - and thus Ireland has not been left behind following the introduction of professionalism into the game.

I remember several years ago doing some research in the National Library in Kildare Street, when I accidentally came across an article in a sporting newspaper either from 1948 or 1949; I can't remember which but I'm pretty sure it was from whatever year Ireland won the Grand Slam. There was a photograph of the 15-man team, and an article describing the players, and also comparing them with past Irish players; but what I noticed most was that this piece had no reference whatsoever to a coach, trainer, or manager.

And of course, most especially we can look forward to the Cheltenham Festival in March.

Tee hee hee!!

Acknowledgement to SueSpace.

Richard Dawkins on The Late Late Show . . .

. . . which was broadcast on Friday 8th December (coincidence?).

He was "marked" by Dr Gerard Casey, who was the guest on "The Journey Home" on EWTN talking to Marcus Grodi a few months ago.

Here is the link to the download page. You'll have to scroll down a bit.

Tickets please!

Apparently, there is a Mass in Ireland which is so popular that, for Christmas, the parish has decided to make it an "all ticket" affair.

It will be at Christmas, and is described as a "Family Mass" in the parish of St. Maur, in the town of Rush, in north County Dublin.

Rush used to be a village, and now it is a growing dormitory town about 18 miles north of Dublin city centre. If you ever want to go there, just go to www.dublinbus.ie and search for the schedule for route 33.

This story broke on Monday on RTE' Radio One's Liveline programme.

If you go to here, scroll down the page to the Listen Back point and click on Monday. The item starts about four and a half minutes into the programme.

News story from Catholic Ireland website.

Photos of the church itself are available from the architects' website.

And here is something else from another online newspaper, including a quote from the curate.

One thing I do know about this church is that it is next door to another one which is about a hundred years older; I can't remember the full story, but the decision was made to build a new one, I think partly because of population growth, partly because of the state of the original church; in fact, I haven't been in that town for years, and I don't even know for certain if the old church is still standing.

Now I have never been at this Family Mass, so I can't pass judgement; but reference to "Irish dancing" taking place makes me a little nervous.

Does YOUR bishop publicly reveal his salary?

If you live in the northern part of County Mayo, the answer is Yes.

BISHOP John Fleming, in a letter to the priests and people of Killala diocese, has launched an appeal for funds for the parishes and the diocese of Killala.

The full story is here. In the paragraph with salary details, all amounts are in euro.


More here from another local paper. This paper describes a committee of priests which works at setting the levels of priests' salaries.

Priest savagely attacked in robbery

In the interview with Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, which I have linked to below, the one thing he said that surprised me most was when he was asked what surprised him the most when he came back to Dublin from Rome.

His answer: the level of violence in modern Irish society, especially in Dublin city.

Less than a fortnight ago, which was after that interview was broadcast, there was a man shot dead on a street within about 500 metres of the Archbishop's residence.

Nowadays in the Republic of Ireland there are about one or two murders per week. I don't have the exact statistics here, but in the early fifties, a murder was something which would have shocked the nation so much because they were so rare.

Now, I've just been watching Fr Benedict Groeschel on Fr Mitch Pacwa's programme on EWTN, and he said that his order, Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, are shortly to start operations in Limerick.

Fr. Benedict used the phrase "Stab City" to describe Limerick, a phrase which, to be honest, won't win him any friends in a city which is trying to shake off that unfortunate moniker - but trying without much success. My own gut feeling is that Limerick has "rough" areas and "nice" areas, just like virtually any other city, including Dublin. But you won't see headlines in the paper such as: "Man Walks Down Street And Arrives Home Safely".

For example, Detroit used to have a bad reputation, and earlier this year I spent three very enjoyable, and safe, days in Motor City.

The act of violence against a priest in rural Kerry is described here: but this has been "pushed off" the front pages by something even worse - the shooting dead of a mother of two young children, in what looks like a contract killing, in the large town of Swords, north of Dublin. Go to RTE's Homepage if you wish to read more.

My Archbishop speaks!

RTE's "One To One" series kicked off last month featuring an interview with Archbishop Diarmuid Martin. It wasn't put up on the RTE website until about two or three weeks later; and it's quite hard to find on the website. So here is the link to the audio/video file.

Evangelisation in India!

Carole, an American girl based in Ireland, who produces the blog A Light To The Nations, is currently on a trip to India to spread the Gospel.

Go here for her story, which, as I write, is far from finished. Scroll down to 9th November and start there.

This is worth checking out

The folks at ProLife Search have put together the "Essential Classics of Catholic Spirituality", which will be available shortly. ProLife Search is your alternative to Google; and the revenue generated goes to good causes.

Get a Free Sneak Preview of the Essential Classics of Catholic Spirituality collection

Poster contest

Following a tip-off from Fr. Tim, I decided to enter The Lapped Catholic's motivational poster competition.

Here is my entry, in the "Humorous" category.

Blessed Columba Marmion, pray for us

Since we in Ireland have relatively few "properly" canonised and beatified people, it is good now and then to blow the trumpet for a saintly Dubliner.



Today, 3rd October, is the feast of Blessed Columba Marmion.

What's In A Name?

Story in today's Irish Examiner:

A FATHER was yesterday granted a High Court injunction restraining his former partner from naming their baby because he was not properly consulted.

Mr Justice Frank Clarke heard the father of the month-old baby girl had proposed dozens of names but the mother didn’t consider any of them.

The couple concerned, who have split up, cannot be named for legal reasons and an injunction was granted to that effect yesterday in the High Court.

In an affidavit opened to the High Court, the father said he was extremely concerned that the mother would proceed with registration and his child’s names will be chosen without any meaningful engagement with him.

Link to story here.

Update: the latest news is that he has withdrawn his legal action.

Final profession for an Ursuline sister

Here is the article from catholicireland.net about another woman following the call from the Lord.

And here is the Ursulines' own website.

Two new vocations for Sisters of Mercy

Despite what the pessimists think, the call to religious life is still being heard by some.

Here is the news page from the Sisters of Mercy website, including a photo of the pair; I am assuming this photo was taken on the day of the big event, though I'm not 100% sure of that.

Speaking of that Order, I blogged in June about an event in Rosscarbery, Co Cork; here is something else on the matter, including a photo, again from the official Sisters of Mercy website. The photo clearly looks as if it was simply scanned from the newspaper in which the story originally appeared.

A day's work!

If you are fortunate enough to be gainfully employed in a job you enjoy, and lucky enough to work with nice people, with generally good working conditions, then spare a thought for those who are not as fortunate as you.

Such as the people whom Rev. Stephen Miller deals with in his work with the Anglican Mission to Seafarers.

Read this: it's from the magazine of the International Transport Workers Federation.

And yes, there is a Catholic equivalent, the Apostleship of the Sea.

If this blog isn't enough for you. . .

. . .you will soon have more opportunities to read my musings on the Catholic England and Wales blog. I have been invited to join this blog, and I am very happy to accept.

Absolutely hilarious!

This post by Paulinus really made me laugh.

And then, after I'd finished, I was thinking to myself: "I hope it's not based on fact!"