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THE ONLY IRISHMAN with a vote in choosing the next Pope has asked Catholics to pray for those responsible for picking the Catholic Church’s next supreme pontiff.
Cardinal Seán Brady, the Archbishop of Armagh, is one of two Irish cardinals – but the other, former Archbishop of Dublin Desmond Connell, is discounted from casting a vote in the elections to choose the next pope on the grounds of his age.
Brady said this evening that while news of Pope Benedict XVI’s retirement was “a shock”, he was certain that the outgoing pontiff had deliberately chosen February 11 – the World Day of the Sick, and the feast of Our Lady of Loures – as the date on which he announced his retirement.
“Our Lady always points us to her Son,” Brady said. “In his statement today Pope Benedict pointed us to Christ as the Supreme Pastor of the Church”.
“His announcement today echoes his words on the day he was elected Pope. Then he described himself as a humble worker in the vineyard of the Lord. With typical humility, courage and love for the Church he has clearly come to the view that the Lord now wants him to use his remaining physical and spiritual energies by serving the Church in prayer,” Brady said.
I think this is a profound act of humility, a conscientious and responsible decision to hand over the ministry of the successor of Saint Peter in a time of great challenge for the Church and for faith in the modern world.
Brady sought prayers for both the retiring pontiff, thanking him for his “generous service of the Universal Church”, and asked Catholics to pray “for those who will have responsibility for electing his successor.”
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World day of the sick is appropriate. There are few things as wholeheartedly sick as the Rrrroman Catholic Church.
Well said Simon
Can the press give up on this now until the 28th at this stage it’s overkill, it’s crazy….
Why is that man not locked up for concealing sex crimes against children?
100% Tony. Said it before, the Vatican is a State so they should be hauled up before the courts.
So sorry to see him go. Organized religion is a cancer in our society and this man helped precipitate the mass desertion from the Catholic Church which is underway. If he’d at least stay another few years we could close them down and be rid of their evil ways forever.
@holymugger that’s a very valid point
tony youve made the same point over and over and over again..lol. Just get over yourself
Regano never as long as I have breath in my body and that justice has been denied to the people that I have known who have suffered as poor defenceless innocent children at the hands of this corrupt organisation . I will never abandon the victims cause to satisfy People like you !
Regano this isn’t about me or you this is about letting people never forget the heinous crimes the hierarchy of that abominable institution committed. A concept which is obviously lost on you.
This is about campaigning on behalf of those poor victims who can’t campaign for themselves. The forgotten dead , the poor and uneducated , the ones who keep their pain hidden. Everything I post is for them . So once again you get over yourself !
Should have resign long ago. He was way to old at the start. Very strict opinions. Old school. Has done nothing to repair the church following all the sex abuse scandals.
Father Jack for Pope!
My my, I’ve been reading the comments in the various articles and the journal comment is full of hatred today.
The articles themselves appear to be balanced though which is nice to see.
And the articles should be balanced. But the comments don’t have to be. If your family member had been raped by a priest supported by this cult I think you’d be hateful towards them too.
Who would not have hatred for an organisation that facilitated the wholesale rape , torture , forced labour , abuse and human trafficking of innocent little defenceless children .
How do you know that everyone writing hateful comments here has had a family member raped by a priest?
They don’t have to have a family member raped by a priest to be repulsed by that abomination of an organisation. All they need is sympathy and empathy for its countless victims , the victims that the RCC has trampled on . Many of my country men and women bare the pain and scars of child abuse Inflicted by the hand of the RCC and the Irish state. Scars they will never heal from. They will never see justice served .Remember they are the underdogs not the almighty powerful church .
My dear James, how do you know otherwise? The pope and his minions only had to make a heartfelt apology, but they didn’t have the humility to rake that small step. Isn’t that what Jesus’ work on earth was all about? Love and humility. I’m sorry, but I really don’t see anywhere that his representative on earth followed his example. I’m neither hateful or angry James, just saddened at the desperation of people to hold on to a system that failed mist of them miserably.
Celia, he did say in his letter to Irish Catholics: “You have suffered grievously and I am truly sorry,” he wrote. “Your trust has been betrayed and your dignity has been violated… I openly express the shame and remorse that we all feel.”
He also said: “How much filth there is in the Church, and even among those… in the priesthood.”
But you’re right and you’re not hateful.
They only apologised because they were forced too. If they were left to their own devices they would have been happy to sit on their hands continue with the cover up and say nothing. The church didn’t expose themselves their victims did! The damage the RCC did cannot be undone . Their words are and always have been meaningless and empty.
Think general views expressed here and in general Irish society might not square with your RC ethos James. However opinion is increasingly one that the church needs to change…as with the Pope….to recognise when it is unable to fulfill what it was originally intended and make way for one that can. That time is now. Time for another reformation.
James, I think you suffer from “blind faith”.
Blind to the truth and reality of the cover up and deviousness of he church.
I wish the Pope well in the future. It will be a great day for Catholics all around the world when the new pope is announced.
Yes, I’m sure there’ll be street parties for him- someone they’ve never met 2,600 km away in Rome.
Should be a great sesh. I’m pretty stoked too.
get a life
you obvouisily need a life really badly too patricia lol, here making silly comments non stop.
Regano , Go back to your video games child , come back and post when you are more enlightened about the world.
The greatest Cult on earth.
Lets hope the new pope will be a young man that is in touch with society and people.
Won’t happen, they prefer the 16th century and the book they use for teachings is backwards and conflicting.
No time for the hypocrite.
Who will be the next to wear the pointed hat and red slippers?
Don’t forget the furry frock and cape
Not forgetting that said slippers are designer Gucci slippers. That must have been a mistake. Surely no pope would desire such luxury?. Yet , even after the photographs were published, there was no denial.
All self serving mumbo jumbo. I see RTE is fulfilling its duties for a foreign state by making this the only thing on the news. Their religious correspondent can barely conceal his obvious religious leaning.
Cardinal Brady in handcuffs. That’s what justice would look like. He conspired to pervert the course of justice and moved Brendan Smyth knowing that more children would be raped. He is as guilty as any rapist. Never mind his Christianity where was his humanity. Still he got a silly red had in return for it so the rape victims presumably feel much better now.
I will be praying. Such a great pope. He certainly gave the best 8 years a man of his age could give and in all humility has decided to step down in style.
We love you your Holiness and will keep you in prayer.
May The Lord grant you many years
Stephen and family
Yea, the pervert protector should have a great retirement. Best wishes and so on.
Stevo….Jesus here. Give it a rest mate!
Jesus, whilst you’re here can you please please please go and talk to David Quinn.
He has become such a great big pain in the arse
Are your for real ? How can someone your age with access into the Internet be so deluded to religion and the goings on of the Catholic Church. Why don’t they just sell up and solve world poverty ?
yep you need a life also
Day of the sick? Cardinal brady is pretty damn sick himself given what he has helped cover up. And he asks us to pray? Only an idiot could support this bullshit. You should be ashamed if you do.
Father Dougal get my vote
I’ve a tenner on Father Rebullah Conundrum .
7/2 on Fr. Cannabranna Lammer and Fr. Todd Unctious
Evens on Fr Hiroshima Twinkie and Fr Pee Wee Stairmaster.
During the brief period when Fr Jack was dead, one of the mourning priests claimed at the wake that he should have been pope, but that the feckin Jesuits had it sewn up. If anyone should be pope, it should be him. Or Fr Hairycake Lynam.
20 squids on Bishop Brennan.
Unless and until, Brady and Connell, are brought to justice, then little will change. The apologists for church sanctioned child abuse is an anathema to justice. When will this end?
Paddy Power has Peter Turkson (Ghana) for next Pope at 3/1.
The leader of the dictatorship of the rogue state that is the Vatican has resigned best news of the year so far .
[unfunny Father Ted reference]
There is no such thing as an unfunny Fr Ted reference!
Sadly, it was a case of “una Duce, una voce”
I thought it was ‘Our Lady of Lourdes’, I think I may have spotted a typo
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