He’s Kicking Himself

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00090942Bishop of Galway Martin Drennan

The Bishop of Galway appears to have rowed back on his strong stance on the St Vincent de Paul (SVP) donation towards a gay resource centre, telling a member of the public that he “got it badly wrong”.

There have been calls for Dr Martin Drennan to resign in the wake of his comments on Galway Bay FM last week about the €45,000 allocation to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community support group Amach.

He described gay culture as “morally wrong” and said he had a problem with the “moral judgment” involved with making the decision by the SVP.

Salthill resident Cormac Ryan wrote an email to the Bishop after hearing the interview, describing his remarks as “deeply offensive, uncharitable and unchristian”.

A reply the following day from the Diocesan email address, which was also sent to the Bishop’s Diocesan secretary, thanked him for the letter.

“My humble apologies for the hurt caused. I got it badly wrong,” it said.

Vice chairperson of Amach, Nuala Ward, invited the Bishop to sit down and talk with the organisation to discuss their work, which involved collaborating with bodies such as the Health Service Executive, the Gardaí and suicide prevention groups.

Meanwhile..

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Tackling poverty is what the SVP does best. But Galway LGBT Amach! is a campaigning organisation. It even helped promote a pro-abortion march in Galway last year. That’s the opposite of reaching out to the poor and marginalised.

And it’s not as though left-wing, liberal causes are stuck for money these days. When it comes to friends in the media and funds from millionaires, gay rights projects are top dogs, not underdogs.

Did SVP Galway ask Amach! whether it would be campaigning for the redefinition of marriage next year? Might its resource centre and facilities be used in that referendum?

It’s a strange thing, but heaven help you if you dare to regret using the poor box to fund a campaigning gay rights organisation.

Update:

nuala

 

Enda Cunningham [of the Connacht Tribune] writes:

Purely in the interest of balance, there is actually a third piece [above] in the Tribune today – it’s from Nuala Ward, Vice Chair of Amach LGBT.

Bishop of Galway says he got it ‘badly wrong’ (Denise McNamara, Galway City Tribune)

Previously: How Dare They?

Graham Hughes/Photocall Ireland

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89 thoughts on “He’s Kicking Himself”

  2. Jock

    I have to agree with Mullen here. StVdeP seem to be straying far from their mandate here which is a bit disingenuous to people donating.

    Personally I would never donate to them as their main ‘customers’ consist of people funding their basics after their spent their dole on drink, drugs and other fun pursuits.

    2. Cean

      No donated money from the public went to this resource center. It came from the Maureen O’Sullivan Fund not from public money.

        1. fluffybiscuits

          Gay people who get f**ked out of their homes becuase they are homosexual are left to live in hostels, on the street, friends sofas. They are in need as much as anyone else. If the world didnt discriminate these places wouldnt be needed.

          F**kin thicko

          2. Jock

            Couldn’t they just ask for help from the charity direct? Why does the money need to go through another intermediary?

    3. Cean

      It’s a fund administrated by the SVP but not from public donations. It was used to fund a Youth and Family Centre in Tuam. I guess Ronan doesn’t have an issue with that but does with a LGBT center?

    6. Sham Bob

      Maybe there’s a charity for the deserving poor out there for you. Your money buys a Christmas turkey for an idealised Dickensian family with no addiction issues.

  3. Just sayin'

    I hate to say it but I partly agree with Ronan Mullen here. Now I’m going to have a shower with a brillo pad to get this stain off my soul.
    I think SVP need to redefine what exactly their function is.

          1. Clampers Outside!

            “Social Justice” is part of SVPs remit, they don’t just deal with poverty issues.

            Rather than redefine what their function is, maybe you should have looked up what it is in the first place, and Ronan too.

    1. Ahjayzis

      We should cancel all prior redefinitions and go back to when it was men getting paid to take the wenches off their father’s hands.

        1. Ahjayzis

          Well, that’s that then. You’ve destroyed society.
          Hope she was worth it and you’ve had your fun. You’ll be wed to a dog and a stapler by next week.

    3. well

      We should go back to traditional marriage, parents arranging who their children will be married too, none of this evil liberal free will crap.

      1. Ahjayzis

        Ronan’s Mammy wouldn’t be slow about knocking this ‘confirmed bachelor’ nonsense on the head if that were the case!

        1. Anne in London (IN not FROM for those wot don't read so well)

          Hey, there, I’ll marry you and we can have a gay old time.

          We can find some old enormous wreak of a place in the countryside near a beach and do it up ourselves with our hands.

          We can raise lots of cool kids and some noisy ones too for balance. We should also have huge houseparties once a month full of noise, laughter and buckets of wine (and juice for those into that sort of thing)

          … oh and we will also donate to the SVP as well of course!

          What do you say?

  5. Drogg

    This comes from that muppet whose funding all comes from american billionaires and large american organisations, you don’t see pro-choice or pro-marrage equality groups being able to afford massive billboard campaigns and ad’s in leading newspapers like the organisations Ronan supports.

  6. ABM

    Catholic bishop denounces homosexual behaviour shocker.

    He’s only making life hard for *himself* by placating these pro gay activist groups.

    No sympathy whatsoever. You’re a bishop FFS. You get to tell people what to do and lay down the law because that’s what the Church expects of you. Man up, exercise your power, or give up all the privileges that being a bishop affords you.

    Your handling of all this is pathetic IMO.

    1. well

      “You get to tell people what to do and lay down the law because that’s what the Church expects of you.”

      Sorry my bitter friend, those days are over, go cry in your hugbox.

      1. Jesus Himself

        No, ABM is right. Bishops need to be thundering from pulpits, telling us what’s right and what’s wrong. The fact that it’s all derived from an outdated moral code is a good thing, because the more they shout about it the more people feel compelled to reject their doctrine in its entirety.
        So preach on, ABM. Preach on, bishops and other bigoted defenders of a patriarchal system of oppression! Show the few remaining adherents to your faith how rotten the whole thing really is at its core.

      2. ABM

        Bishops do get to lay down the law. They get to decide what goes on in their diocese.

        Of course you being a free-willed human, can choose to ignore what is right and just if you wish.

        If you don’t like to be reminded of wickedness, then don’t go to Mass and don’t support Catholic organisations (either explictly or implicitly – you will find you benefit from the Catholic Church in more ways than you care to imagine).

        1. Lorcan Nagle

          >>Bishops do get to lay down the law. They get to decide what goes on in their diocese.<>If you don’t like to be reminded of wickedness, then don’t go to Mass and don’t support Catholic organisations (either explictly or implicitly – you will find you benefit from the Catholic Church in more ways than you care to imagine).<<

          This has been working out pretty good for me, glad to see we're on the same page!

        2. Clampers Outside!

          Hahaha!

          ” If you don’t like to be reminded of wickedness, then don’t go to Mass ”

          The fact you have to go to Mass to see what’s wrong with the world just proves you are incompetent and incapable of any type of self determination. Religion was made for you ABM. Revel in it :)

    2. bruce01

      Quite pathetic, one must agree. This man clearly disagrees with homosexuality, and therefore should stay on record as having this stance. Does the RCC not openly hold an anti-gay line anymore?

        1. Nigel

          He probably thinks lots of things are wrong. Drug abuse? Alcohol abuse? Gambling? Does he object to services helping the people who do these things simply because they are morally wrong? Even if we disagree over whether homophobia or homosexuality is the moral wrong, the victims still need help, don’t they? Jesus walked with the outcast, the despised, the diseased. This bishop declines to associate with such a rabble.

          1. ABM

            “This bishop declines to associate with such a rabble.”

            What utter clap trap.

            Bishop Drennan’s track record is exceptional.

            When you’ve done what he has done, then you might be in a position to knock a humble, hardworking, God-fearing, charitable and exceptionally intelligent man.

          2. Nigel

            So why does he single out the LGBT community to exclude them from his good works? But maybe you’re right. He may actually be everything you claim he is. After all, he had the decency to admit he got it ‘badly wrong.’

          4. ABM

            A reliable source (i.e. not establishment opinion pieces) would be great the next time you try to make a point.

            Actually, what point are you trying to make?

          5. Jordofthejungle

            Like your good self fake ABM, Bishop Drennan isn’t in any real position to take the moral high ground. The Murphy report didn’t exactly exonerate him. Now is it fish or obsessing about the gays ABM which is tonight’s activity. Or both – life is that sad for you.

            Once again ask yourself if your internet obsessions and lack of anything productive to do in your life are the result of being a middle class, happy and socially functional male? Or a lonely and desperate man from the dregs of society using religious zealotry as a displacement activity.

            You poor sod. Enjoy the hypocrisy, just like the cleric Drennan…

    4. Nigel

      Catholic bishop more interested in denouncing homosexuals than in offering christian charity to homosexuals who are victims of homosexuality being denounced shocker.

      1. ABM

        What % of his time do you think he spends on denouncing homosexuals vs. say, visiting the sick and elderly people, running his diocese, saying Mass, etc.?

        What % of religious affairs “news” from the D4 media is about gays, abortion, secularism, etc.?

        IMO, all he has to do is say “homosexuality is wrong” and move on. By placating these groups the opus Dei suffers.

        Pope Francis doesn’t bother with the gay issue because he knows there are far more important things to be worrying about in this world (such as feeding the poor and protecting Christians from persecution, torture and being killed).

        What is written about homosexual behaviour is there in black and white if anyone wants to find out more. The most relevant church scholarship on immoral sexual behaviour was written over 50 years ago. Until someone comes along with new information, that’s not going to change any time soon. The church is not pre-occupied with sex issues and gay issues the way those outside the bosom of the church are. Media pests and gay activists need to be kept at a safe distance – they have a bad habit of misinterpreting church teaching to satisfy their own twisted agendas.

        1. Nigel

          He didn’t denounce homosexual behaviour, really, though, did he? We take that for granted. He criticised the use of funds to help homosexuals, or members of the LGBT community. Helping people. Helping sinners. Helping the needy. There appears to be something about the ‘sin’ of homosexuaity that precludes helping homosexuals. This does not extend, to my knowledge, to alcoholics, gamblers, adulterers, paedophiles, thieves and murderers. I agree. You’d think there’d be more important things to worry about.

        2. Clampers Outside!

          “Pope Francis doesn’t bother with the gay issue ”

          Maybe you should tell him to stop bothering the Cardinals and Bishops around the world about it then….
          http://time.com/3303851/is-the-catholic-church-evolving-on-gay-marriage/
          …and then tell him not to be raising it at the world conference of Synod on the Family…
          http://world.time.com/2013/10/08/pope-francis-calls-extraordinary-synod-on-family-and-marriage/

          And this one….
          http://time.com/13161/pope-francis-willing-to-evaluate-civil-unions-but-no-embrace-of-gay-marriage/

          I really love how you are sooooo out of touch with the RCC when you purport to be knowledgeable on its matters.

          It’s uplifting to know that the RCC is far more advanced than yourself on the matter ABM.

          1. ABM

            Typical.

            What percentage of the Pope Francis’s writings and public statements concern the great thorny issues that the 21st century media obsess over?

            Honestly?

            You’ll find the percentage is tiny. The church is not about you. It’s not about sex, the gays, atheist internet forums, abortions, contraceptives, whatever-you-want-the-church-to-bless, etc.

            If you want to worship anything-goes sexual behaviour, perhaps you could set up (and pay for) your own little monastery where you can dabble in a bit of whatever you’re having yourself? Such enclaves are very successful in America.

          2. Clampers Outside!

            What has percentage got to do with it? Oh hang on, you’re a right wing nut, you don’t care about minorities…. ah… right… to answer your question, no idea. A little bit anyway, he cares more than you do, honestly.

            I see the mere mentioning and drawing of your attention to the subject causes you to automatically imply that I am solely and only concerned with that subject, that I desire to worship sex…. haha :) You’re some work hi !
            This is, just another reason why you are incapable of viewing anything outside of the blinkered view you have developed in life. Mass it is, for you.

        3. Jordofthejungle

          LOL “The Church is not preoccupied with sex issues”. Perhaps not the Church but you certainly are ABM!

          That is ABM, the self-confessed cat-owning celibate man who spends most of his time online waiting to pounce with tellingly caustic commentary the moment anything pertaining to his special areas of hypocritical interest arise, namely abortion or the gays. Of course, nothing more than a distraction from an obvious desperation, crushing loneliness and nothing much going on in his wasted life.

          ABM, you lay bare your multifaceted hypocrisy for all of us to see.

          2. Jordofthejungle

            When will these fake ABMs cease and desist? Mods please. The crazy is high with this one. I get it: dial up the religious zealotry, get everyone exercised and promote the opposite view to the one you claim. Do you think this is the most productive way to spend your day fake ABM?

          3. ABM

            The bulk of today’s teaching on sexual norms comes from work that was done over 50 years ago. Not much has changed since then.

            Why is it’s only now that you guys are getting all angry? Why do you care so much about what some guys in Rome wrote 50+ years ago?

            Do you care so much about what other religions write about illicit sexual relations? Just Catholic hate, right? Hate Jews too? (We know from recent entries that many broadsheet.ie contributers do).

            Anyway, I suspect the root of anti-Catholic outrage is that there are still good Christian folk who aren’t shy about reminding you that one day, you will be answerable for your actions.

          4. Ahjayzis

            Love it when you threaten me with your imaginary friend ABM ^_^

            What we doing for dinner tonight? I fancy a chinese and a bit of a shag but we can head out either if you want xxx

          5. Jordofthejungle

            I slightly suspect we have been nobbled by fake ABM. The crazy has been ratcheted up to quite high levels so as to promote the opposite view to that espoused. Whether real or fake ABM, they’re both twisted.

          6. ABM

            Fish for me tonight. Good for the brain.

            I’ll leave you and your sex partner to your MSG-laden “Chinese”. Tell me, what’s more gratuitous? The low quality food, or the contracepted “shag”?

          7. Jordofthejungle

            Fish – that means dinner for two ABM! Your cat will be over the moon. Tell me, what middle class home-owning happy and socially functional male behaves as you do online? Not many, eh…Wonder why?

            I’ll bet you’ll spend the rest of the evening feverishly imaging all of the illicit, immoral contraceptive sex people are having. Ironically though ABM, no need for you to resort to contraception – you are sort of natural contraceptive in your own right. You are a sort of “natural” celibate mired by a diet of hypocrisy and immaturity even at your age.

            Revel in your loneliness and desperation or sort yourself out while there is still time, you twisted wretch.

  7. Clampers Outside!

    From St Vincent De Paul’s Twitter account Bio “The Society of St. Vincent de Paul tackles poverty through Support & Friendship; Promoting Self-Sufficiency; & Working for Social Justice in Ireland.”

    Two words in there – “Social Justice”

    The ignorant bigot that is Ronan Mullen completely ignores that and focuses on only one element of SVPs remit, helping the poor, those in poverty as if that was all they did.

    Either he does that on purpose making him a bigot or he’s thick as two planks and just an ignorant little man.

    1. ReproBertie

      Who defines their remit?

      Because they say “Our focus is on practical approach to dealing with poverty, alleviating its effects on individuals and families through working primarily in person-to-person contact by a unique system of family visitation and seeking to achieve social justice and equality of opportunity for all citizens.”

      http://www.svp.ie/About-Us.aspx

      Remove the poverty part and that’s “Our focus is on … seeking to achieve social justice and equality of opportunity for all citizens.”

    2. ReproBertie

      Also they have an entire section dedicated to the thing you don’t belive is part of their remit:

      http://www.svp.ie/Social-Justice.aspx

      “We are working to make Ireland a fairer place; where caring for each other and our children, older people and people with disabilities is valued and supported; where individuals, families and communities can participate fully in work and society; and where an adequately resourced state, a strong economy, employment and business support the type of society that we wish to live in.”

      1. Jock

        A religious charity might have a different idea of social justice than you. It’s laughable how blind you all are to this.

        1. Lorcan Nagle

          And in this case, they clearly do have the same definition of social justice as those of us defending the SVP decision, given they just donated a bunch of cash to an LGBT outreach centre.

    1. Ultach

      That’s Gregory Campbell of the DUP, not Gregory Campbell the Canadian ice hockey centre who plays for the Boston Bruins.

  15. galway

    It would be helpful to this debate if people informed themselves on what AMACH is all about before making misleading comments like those made by Mr. Mullen. Refer to above article “centre helps to break down barriers”. I’ve checked their website and their Facebook page….clearly Mr Mullen’s claims are false. Check it out for yourselves.

  17. galway

    What’s next…will Ronan Mullen try to take the crown off the Rose Of Tralee? After all, she has stated that she hopes she can and will some day get married.

  18. galway

    The only damage done to SVP is done by the bishop and Ronan Mullen and his ilk who (are well funded) with their bigoted narrow minded ill informed damaging comments. I for one will definitely support the SVP in future whenever I can due to their openminded and inclusive stance on this. They have gone up tenfold in my estimation, representing all in society who are marginalised, isolate, at risk etc

  19. galway

    From what I can see…AMACH LGBT Galway has no hidden agenda ( which is more than I can say for Mullen with his incitement to hatred)

  21. Ultach

    Is the Broadsheet comments page the place people go to when they’re not allowed to go to student union council debates any more? An what do the letters A, B and M stand for?

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