Séamus Ahearne: ‘HE WAS LIFE. HE WAS TALK. HE WAS LAUGHTER. HE WAS SONG.’ In Memory of Pat O’Brien, Pastor, Theologian, Poet. (Pádraig Daly).
I’ll live ‘til I die (Aidan O’Hara on the life of Delia Murphy):
Delia Murphy: From Claremorris to Chapelizod and many places in-between. That farm in Jasper, Ontario. And of course she spent time in Rome when Tom Kiernan was ambassador (1941-46). She claimed to have learned her earlier ballads from some of the Travellers camped on the home Estate of Mount Jennings in Roundfort. Her father John had done well in the Klondike Gold Rush. Delia went onto to UCG, where she met Tom Kiernan. She qualified with a B Commerce (as I did myself) but that hardly adds much to her achievements! Liam Clancy pitched Delia as pivotal in the evolution of the Ballad tradition in Ireland. He made out that the world of music was very snobbish, and that such ‘shut-eye’ singing wasn’t considered real music. He said that Ireland had an inferiority complex and was forever apologising with the ‘poor me’ syndrome (or something like that). John Bowman stirred up memories on Sunday morning. (2nd July).
I was remembering Rome during the war. No. I wasn’t there. But I knew many who were. I was remembering the stories. The work of Hugh O’Flaherty. The work of many Religious houses. The work of many Augustinians. The quiet work of the Vatican. The work of Delia Murphy. She knew everyone. She exploited her diplomatic status and contacts to the full. She used her singing to move into wider circles. She entertained everyone. She must have been both a danger and an embarrassment to her husband Tom. But she was a great success during those years. Many owed their lives to the Scarlet Pimpernel of the Vatican, and his team wouldn’t have done so well without her. Her song should go on. Their song should go on. The song of the Vatican should go on. This story should never be forgotten.
The murder of babies and then Abortion:
Paris Mayo was convicted of killing her baby at birth. (Last week). She was sentenced to at least 12 years in jail. She was 15 when the baby was born. Another woman in her forties who had three children was jailed for 28 months. (Recently). She had procured abortion pills. She was 32-34 weeks pregnant. The legal limit for abortion is 24 weeks. She will serve at least 14 months in custody. Another woman in Belfast stabbed her 8-week-old baby boy in the heart and attempted to kill her 2-year-old daughter. She wanted to get at her partner. Yes. She was sentenced to at least 20 years in jail. These are sad and horrific events. I have only reported what I read. I don’t know the fuller stories. But I do wonder. Yes. At the viciousness of it all. At the mental health issues behind all of this. At the facts that abortion is okay up to 24 weeks (UK). There is something not quite right. I was recalling the Repeal of the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution on 25th May 2018 (Ireland) and the widespread hilarity around that result. There was something deeply disrespectful and frivolous in some of the celebrations.
Jeremy Clarkson:
Jeremy Clarkson is a maverick. He writes well. He entertains. There is nothing politically correct about him. He goes against the grain. He offends convention. He is very amusing. He was found guilty by IPSO (Independent Press Standards Organisation) during the past week. His article in The Sun was offensive. It was Sexist. It was Misogynistic. He had written on how much he hated Meghan Markle (Prince Harry’s wife). He wanted to see her parade down the streets of every town in the UK, naked. Then all the people could cry SHAME. Of course he goes over the top. There is a wonderful carelessness about his words. He lost his job on Top Gear. He has had troubles on his Farm with the local planning people. He has a go forever at the Government and their petty regulations. Bureaucracy incites him to violence with words. He does well on Who Wants to be a Millionaire? He adds a dollop of colour and fun.
I read Jeremy whenever I can. People get too het up over words. Words are for throwing away. We make too many of them important. It is always the small talk of life that matters. We are much too serious. I wish we had a few Jeremys around who wrote on this site. I wish we had a few in Church life. We need total irreverence in the business of faith. It would give perspective to everything. We are much too solemn. We take ourselves too seriously and get ever so formal when we talk God which is painful! By the way I don’t often agree with Jeremy but the music of his words is a delight for me. Maybe I am jealous….
Zooming on the Synod:
We had several parish meetings last week. These were essential. But it did mean that I missed out on the Zoom with Julieann Moran on Tuesday 27th June 2023. Julieann is the General Secretary for the Synodal Pathway in Ireland. She had spoken at the AGM in Athlone for the ACP. Liamy Mac Nally (Administrative Secretary ACP) put up the recording of the Zoom from Tuesday, which was good for those of us who couldn’t link in. Now I don’t know if it was only myself but I got the whole recording but no picture. I was pleased to have the opportunity of listening to the talk.
Julieann did a brilliant job. It was comprehensive. It was a marathon. I found it too long. The details were overwhelming. But it brought us into the whole process. Some of us needed that. In many ways, it was exciting. There is such an honesty and an openness in the whole project. It flourishes with hope. There is an acknowledgment of failures. There is an admittance that this is slow and long-term. It told us that this isn’t a Roman plan but is a way of living, learning, sharing faith. It is a listening to experience and it is a deep faith journey. I liked the asides on the arrival of the team in Prague (Continental Stage) and a phalanx of clerical men occupying the top places. The round-table concept was lost immediately until this was brought to the attention of the gathering. We have all seen this and probably know it too well. But it applies in very church and in every parish. The very shape of our churches tells the same story. The passive nature of most liturgies shouts out the message. The words of wisdom resides in the priest or so it seems. We have much learning to do. There is still a danger that the Julieanns of this world and her inner circle are immersed in the possibilities of this process while the rest of us ignore what is going on. Thanks for giving us the chance and the challenge.
Seamus Ahearne osa
2nd July 2023
