TALK BY BISHOP BILL MORRIS - AUSTRALIAN CATHOLIC BISHOP REMOVED BY POPE BENEDICT FOR HIS LIBERAL VIEWS
WHY RELIGION LOSES ITS MEANING AND CREDIBILITY
ABRAHAM JOSHUA HESCHEL
"IT IS CUSTOMARY TO BLAME SECULAR SCIENCE AND ANTI-RELIGIOUS PHILOSOPHY FOR THE ECLIPSE OF RELIGION IN MODERN SOCIETY. IT WOULD BE MORE HONEST TO BLAME RELIGION FOR ITS OWN DEFEATS. RELIGION DECLINED, NOT BECAUSE IT WAS REFUTED, BUT BECAUSE IT BECAME IRRELEVANT, DULL, OPPRESSIVE, INSIPID. WHEN FAITH IS COMPLETELY REPLACED BY CREED, WORSHIP BY DISCIPLINE, LOVE BY HABIT; WHEN THE CRISIS OF TODAY IS IGNORED BECAUSE OF THE SPLENDOUR OF THE PAST; WHEN FAITH BECOMES AN HEIRLOOM RATHER THAN A LIVING FOUNTAIN; WHEN RELIGION SPEAKS ONLY IN THE NAME OF AUTHORITY RATHER THAN WITH THE VOICE OF COMPASSION - ITS MESSAGE BECOMES MEANINGLESS"
(Abraham Joshua Heschel - Jewish Philopopher, Rabbi and Mystic - God In Search of Man)
(Abraham Joshua Heschel - Jewish Philopopher, Rabbi and Mystic - God In Search of Man)
THE ORATORY SOCIETY - A HISTORY AND DESCRIPTION
THE ORATORY SOCIETY WAS FOUNDED AT LARNE IN COUNTY ANTRIM, NORTHERN IRELAND IN 1986. ITS FOUNDER WAS FATHER (NOW BISHOP) PAT BUCKLEY. PAT HAD BEEN ORDAINED IN 1976 AND SERVED AS A PRIEST IN WALES FROM 1976 TO 1978 AND IN THE CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF DOWN AND CONNOR (BELFAST) FROM 1978 TO 1986. IN 1986 THE LOCAL BISHOP, CAHAL DALY, DECIDED TO REMOVE PAT FROM THE DIOCESE BECAUSE OF HIS LIBERAL VIEWS AND HIS OUTSPOKENNESS IN THE MEDIA. PAT, WHO HAD WANTED TO BE A PRIEST SINCE HE WAS 4 YEARS OLD HAD NO OPTION BUT TO EMBARK ON AND INDEPENDENT MINISTRY. THAT MINISTRY, THROUGH THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD, AND THROUGH THE PERSEVERANCE OF PAT AND OTHERS, HAS EVOLVED INTO THE ORATORY SOCIETY.
THE ORATORY SOCIETY IS A TOLERANT, INDEPENDENT AND INCLUSIVE CHURCH. WE ARE HERE FOR EVERYONE - ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE WHO FOR WHATEVER REASON ARE TURNED AWAY BY OTHER CHURCHES,INSTITUTIONS OR INDIVIDUALS. CATHOLICS, PROTESTANTS, CHRISTIANS, JEWS, MUSLIMS AND ANYONE ELSE YOU CARE TO MENTION ARE WELCOME HERE AS OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS. WE ARE HERE FOR MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN. WE ARE HERE FOR PEOPLE REGARDLESS OF THEIR SKIN COLOUR, LANGUAGE, CREED, NATIONALITY, GENDER, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, CRIMINAL RECORD, ABILITY OR DISABILITY. TO QUOTE THE LATE MUCH BELOVED POPE JOHN XX111 - "AT MY WINDOW A LITTLE LIGHT IS KEPT BURNING. ALL MAY COME IN. THE ARMS OF A FRIEND ARE WAITING". WE ARE HERE TO SERVE - NOT TO JUDGE. WE ARE HERE TO SAY "YES" AS OFTEN AS WE CAN. WE SEEK TO KEEP RULES TO A BARE MINIMUM AND AND TO TRY AND PRACTICE THE TWO GREAT COMMANDS OF JESUS CHRIST - TO LOVE GOD AND TO LOVE OUR NEIGHBOUR. WE BELIEVE THAT EVERY SAINT HAS A PAST AND THAT EVERY SINNER HAS A FUTURE. WE ARE NOT INTERESTED IN CONVERTING ANYONE. WE JUST WANT EVERY INDIVIDUAL TO KNOW THAT THEY ARE A PRICELESS CREATION OF GOD AND THAT AS A RESULT THEY SHOULD ACCEPT AND LOVE THEMSELVES FULLY. WE BELIEVE THAT RELIGION CAN BE BOTH A GOOD AND AN EVIL THING AND THAT SPIRITUALITY IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN RELIGION. WE BELIEVE IN JOY, HAPPINESS, FUN, CELEBRATING, SMILING AND LIVING LIFE TO THE FULL. WE ARE AWARE THAT THE WORLD AND LIFE IS FULL OF PAIN AND SUFFERING AND THAT MAKES US SAD. HOWEVER WE BELIEVE THAT FAITH, PERSEVERANCE, SOLIDARITY AND THE GRACE OF GOD CAN TRANSFORM THE DARKEST OF NIGHTS INTO THE BRIGHTEST OF NEW DAWNS. WE BELIEVE THAT JESUS CHRIST CONQUERED SIN, SUFFERING, WEAKNESS AND EVEN DEATH AND HAND IN HAND WITH HIM WE CAN DO EXACTLY THE SAME. WE BELIEVE IN A PACKED HEAVEN AND AN EMPTY HELL AND IN SAINT BRIGID'S VISION OF HEAVEN AS A LAKE OF BEER WITH A RAPTUOS GOD THROWING AN ETERNAL PARTY FOR EVERY CREATURE THAT WAS EVER CONCEIVED. ARE WE OPTOMISTS? WE ARE - HELPLESSLY SO SO :-)
THE ORATORY SOCIETY IS A TOLERANT, INDEPENDENT AND INCLUSIVE CHURCH. WE ARE HERE FOR EVERYONE - ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE WHO FOR WHATEVER REASON ARE TURNED AWAY BY OTHER CHURCHES,INSTITUTIONS OR INDIVIDUALS. CATHOLICS, PROTESTANTS, CHRISTIANS, JEWS, MUSLIMS AND ANYONE ELSE YOU CARE TO MENTION ARE WELCOME HERE AS OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS. WE ARE HERE FOR MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN. WE ARE HERE FOR PEOPLE REGARDLESS OF THEIR SKIN COLOUR, LANGUAGE, CREED, NATIONALITY, GENDER, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, CRIMINAL RECORD, ABILITY OR DISABILITY. TO QUOTE THE LATE MUCH BELOVED POPE JOHN XX111 - "AT MY WINDOW A LITTLE LIGHT IS KEPT BURNING. ALL MAY COME IN. THE ARMS OF A FRIEND ARE WAITING". WE ARE HERE TO SERVE - NOT TO JUDGE. WE ARE HERE TO SAY "YES" AS OFTEN AS WE CAN. WE SEEK TO KEEP RULES TO A BARE MINIMUM AND AND TO TRY AND PRACTICE THE TWO GREAT COMMANDS OF JESUS CHRIST - TO LOVE GOD AND TO LOVE OUR NEIGHBOUR. WE BELIEVE THAT EVERY SAINT HAS A PAST AND THAT EVERY SINNER HAS A FUTURE. WE ARE NOT INTERESTED IN CONVERTING ANYONE. WE JUST WANT EVERY INDIVIDUAL TO KNOW THAT THEY ARE A PRICELESS CREATION OF GOD AND THAT AS A RESULT THEY SHOULD ACCEPT AND LOVE THEMSELVES FULLY. WE BELIEVE THAT RELIGION CAN BE BOTH A GOOD AND AN EVIL THING AND THAT SPIRITUALITY IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN RELIGION. WE BELIEVE IN JOY, HAPPINESS, FUN, CELEBRATING, SMILING AND LIVING LIFE TO THE FULL. WE ARE AWARE THAT THE WORLD AND LIFE IS FULL OF PAIN AND SUFFERING AND THAT MAKES US SAD. HOWEVER WE BELIEVE THAT FAITH, PERSEVERANCE, SOLIDARITY AND THE GRACE OF GOD CAN TRANSFORM THE DARKEST OF NIGHTS INTO THE BRIGHTEST OF NEW DAWNS. WE BELIEVE THAT JESUS CHRIST CONQUERED SIN, SUFFERING, WEAKNESS AND EVEN DEATH AND HAND IN HAND WITH HIM WE CAN DO EXACTLY THE SAME. WE BELIEVE IN A PACKED HEAVEN AND AN EMPTY HELL AND IN SAINT BRIGID'S VISION OF HEAVEN AS A LAKE OF BEER WITH A RAPTUOS GOD THROWING AN ETERNAL PARTY FOR EVERY CREATURE THAT WAS EVER CONCEIVED. ARE WE OPTOMISTS? WE ARE - HELPLESSLY SO SO :-)