My close friend and spiritual director, who baptized my oldest son 31 years ago, was arrested yesterday. I was deeply involved in getting rid of the bad priests in his diocese where I grew up myself. I’d like to think I have a pretty good judge of character when it comes to these issues. The bad ones had a definite “feel” in their presence. It wasn’t rocket science. Fr. Tony was always one of the good guys - completely orthodox, incredibly pro life, the only priest who routinely mentioned the evil of birth control and it’s connection to abortion and went to all the local pro life events, trustworthy, incredibly intelligent, deeply and passionately devout, and a great spiritual director. He traveled here from almost three hours away in Pennsylvania every Sunday during the Covid lockdowns to make sure we had access to Sunday mass. We didn’t miss any because of him. My gut reaction is he’s been set up. He was incredibly naive but in a good holy sense, was a technological Luddite, and left his room unlocked at the priest’s retirement residence where he lived every day for an hour long rosary walk. He didn’t understand the need for complicated passwords and cybersecurity. Some of the worst offenders I helped get removed from active ministry lived there in the priest’s retirement residence too. They know who I am, they hated me and they knew Fr. Tony was a close friend. They treated him like dirt. He was working on an expose of his diocese and I suspect they’re framing him to undermine his credibility and prevent his book from seeing the light of day. Unfortunately he has stage IV metastatic malignant melanoma with not long to live and thoroughly understands the value of redemptive suffering, even if it’s gross calumny and injustice, so I suspect he’ll accept this cross quietly and offer it up for what time he has left. (I’m convinced his melanoma is from taking the Covid vaccine, which he had to take because he was living in that retirement residence.) Even if I’m completely wrong, even if he were to confess to the charges, he’s still my close friend and I have no way to contact him. I’m beside myself tonight.
Praying for him and you. Well if he is innocent this is the kinda thing that makes you a saint. If he is not innocent these are the kinda things that bring you to Christ.
Dear Brian, Just a commissional thought, I dearly miss Australia's Cardinal Pell, he was our rock, our Australian rock of sanity, our Australian rock of truth, I miss him more now than when I heard of his tragic death at the beginning of this year, his untimely death, gob smacked me in a full facial frontal attack. I grieve his passing but I more so grieve the defamation, calumny and detraction he suffered over the last few years of his life. He was a very brave defender of our Lord Jesus Christ and His church and he withstood innumerable attacks on his character with a steadfast hope and faith, he remained faithful and ultimately was vindicated. Needless to say the high ranking masons who orchestrated his demise were miffed. I believe Cardinal Pell should have remained extremely prudent after his vindication because the evil one was ready to pounce and he did. This has deprived the wonderful dubia Cardinals and Bishops (who are questioning the Synod) of another great prelate to stand for the truth. However, I also recognised that Cardinal Pell's love and trust in Jesus Christ was not only the reason for his vindication but also the reason he threw caution to the wind and trusted his life into the hands of the medical doctors in Italy, he would have known this was dangerous, however he did this and trusted God. Gods will was done. He died. But a greater good can come from his death. Let as allow the Lord to work. God has this all in His hands. I believe this to be similar to the scenario of your dear friend, the priest you speak of. God is looking after this, maybe pain and suffering is to ensue but God has this and will use the pain and suffering for His greater Glory. This is my hope and my prayer. God bless you now and always
Robert Royal speaking today with Fr Sirricco about Cardinal Pell’s view of the Synod, and a book of his essays recently published. https://www.thecatholicthing.org/20...14e16a-1171efe307-244097457&mc_cid=1171efe307
Praying for you and for Fr. Tony "We are afflicted in every way, but not constrained; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our body." - 2 Cor 4:8-9
I embedded the link in the first sentence of my initial thread post. You can click that link to read about the alleged crimes.
