Sunday Newsletter

Masses Today

6.30: (Vigil) Joan Kelly (nee O'Sullivan), (Anniv).
11.00: Bobby Deacy (Month's Mind).
6.30: Mary Anderson, (Anniv).

As I Was Saying...

Pope Benedict nudged Pius XII and John Paul II that bit closer to sainthood last month. It was a delicate 'balancing act'. Some Jews regard Pius' World War II legacy as dubious. John Paul II was accepted by the Jews as a lifelong friend. But there is another question here that goes beyond Pius or John Paul: should any pope be made a saint?

There have been 265 popes to date, 264 of whom are now dead. Less than one third of these are 'official' saints, most of whom belong to the early years of the Church. Only five popes were canonised in the entire second millennium. When Pius X, who died in 1914, was made a saint in 1954, he was the first pope to be canonised in nearly 400 years.

But in recent years, papal canonisations are almost de rigueur. John Paul II beatified Pius IX, the tetchy 19th-century pope who introduced papal infallibility. To balance matters, he beatified the affable John XXIII on the same day. The canonisation of Paul VI is also underway, and there is a campaign afoot to beatify John Paul I, who reigned a mere 33 days in 1978.

Is sanctity a reward for becoming pope then? But the cardinals are electing a leader to govern the church. As German writer Karl Rahner put it, if a pope turns out to be a wonderful Christian, that's "a happy coincidence," just as when the president of the chess club is also a great player. It is not necessarily relevant, however, to the health of the chess club, or the church!

In fact, cardinals have often looked for a pope who could govern firmly and defend the church in a dangerous world. But in modern times, as popes became globe-trotting superstars, they also became the universal face of Catholicism. Before 1870 and photography, most Catholics hadn't a clue what 'the prisoner of the Vatican' looked like. Today the pope's face is the most readily recognisable countenance on the planet.

This "papalization" of the church means that every pope must now be seen as a holy man, indeed the holiest man in the church, even if there are pressing issues of governance that would require more savvy than piety. Although John Paul II is a 'shooin' for canonisation, serious questions are emerging about his administration of the church. The whole clerical sexual abuse issue is a case in point. Many now hold he handled it very badly.

Yet to avoid canonising John Paul II, or any pope at this point, could be seen as an 'insult' to his memory. That forces defenders of papal canonisation to create a false division between official actions and personal piety. As a papal spokesman said in defending Benedict's decision on Pius, "The evaluation concerns the witness of Christian life that the person showed ... and not the historical impact of all his operative decisions."

But based on this formula, plenty of nice people who did awful things would qualify for sainthood. But they'd hardly be models for the rest of us. It's a verdict that makes Pius XII neither villain nor plaster saint, but neither does it answer the question of what a modern pope should be, a leader of the church or a model of sanctity? Is it possible that canonisation is now unwittingly used to fireproof deceased popes against criticism?

-Dick Lyng

Items of Moderate Interest

The late Tim Murray

Tim Murray (76) was buried from the Augustinian here last week. He was born across the road in what is now Anthony Ryan's Shop. He was one of a household of 18 children. He was a daily visitor to this Church as a child and a young adult. In fact Tim wrote a book eight years ago called 'Don't Rock the Boat'. I never knew Timmy as he and the family had long left Middle Street before I came to Galway. But I got to know him second hand, if you like, through the pages of that book.

Most of the book concerns his struggles within the labour movement and the unions. But shining out from every page was his great love and admiration for his Grandmother Mary Murray. Tim's mother died when he was 2 years old, so he was reared by his granny. It seems to have been an 'open house' where strangers often found a bed for the night. (I suppose with 18 children in the house already, one or two extra mouths wouldn't matter that much). In some cases, the generosity of Mrs. Murray was not always reciprocated by the guests. One evening Tim's father, also a docker, brought home a young seaman who seems to have jumped ship and was effectively homeless. The Murray family offered him a bed for the night. The following evening, Timmy prepared himself for a night of dancing. But, when he went for his new overcoat, he discovered, like Mother Hubbard, that the cupboard was bare! The young sailor had an eye for fashion too, obviously!

Mary Murray looked out for her grandchild and protected him through his tough years in the Old Mon School on Market Street. She was a tough, feisty lady, by all accounts. Throughout the 1940s, she brought Timmy into this Church to say his prayers every day. That strong religious faith which she nurtured so carefully never left Timmy throughout his very varied life. "I don't want to sound sanctimonious, but I did go to Church and Confession whenever I could" he states in his book.

However, he agreed with St. James that 'faith without good works is dead'; so, when serving with the Merchant Navy, he arranged with the Company that £1.10s per week be docked from his wages and forwarded directly to his Granny in Middle Street.

He was 17 when he left home for England in 1951. These were the years immediately after the Second World War. In effect, Britain was being rebuilt, and Irish navvies would play a central role in that rebuilding. Timmy Murray was part of that interesting army of 'rebuilders'. He worked all over the UK, labouring on buildings, laying pipes and cables, building roads and bridges. But he was also a gifted singer. And he supplemented his labouring income when he was employed at night as resident singer in two Irish dance halls in Birmingham. He was grandly billed as "The Crooner from Galway City!"

During the Suez Canal crisis, Timmy found himself on a ship called the 'Victory Wave', eventually arrived in Egypt via Malta. Their goal was the fuelling of British Navy ships in Egypt. Timmy travelled the world twice before settling down with his new wife Maureen, whom he met while on shore leave in Birmingham. They married on the 5th March, 1960 and they were to have eight children. Maureen and Tim returned to Galway to live in the mid 60s. Timmy resumed his work on the Docks which he continued until his retirement. While his health declined over the last year, he died suddenly in hospital on January 19th last. May he rest in peace.

Cill Aodáin

Anois teacht an Earraigh beidh an lá dul chun síneadh,
Is tar eis na féil Bríde ardóidh mé mo sheol.
Ó chuir mé i mo cheann é ní stopfaidh me choíche
Go seasfaidh mé thíos i lár Chondae Mhaigh Eo.

I gClár Clainne Mhuiris a bhéas mé an chéad oíche,
Is i mBalla taobh thíos de 'thosós mé ag ól,
Go Coillte Mach rachad go ndéanfad cuairt mhíosa ann,
I bhfogas dhá mhíle do Bhéal an Áth' Mhóir.

-Antaine Ó Reachtabhra (Raifteirí) (1784-1835).

Matters of Some Interest

BIBLICAL STUDIES: On tomorrow night, Monday February 1st, at 8.00, Bishop Martin Drennan will lead a reflection on the Gospel reading of the weekend of February 6 & 7 in the Diocesan Pastoral Centre, Newtownsmith. Martin's area of expertise is biblical studies. This course is a new initiative and, depending on the level of interest, it may become a monthly event.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1st: To mark the Feast of St. Bridget tomorrow an Evening Reflection on 'Care of the Earth' will be conducted in Croi Nua, Taylor's Hill, from 8.00pm to 10.00p.m.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3rd: A Workshop on the topic "Why come to Mass" will be conducted at Croi Nua from 8.00pm to 10.00pm.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10th: A Workshop on the topic 'Deepening our understanding of the Eucharist' takes place at the same venue from 8.00pm to 10.00pm.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2nd: The Cathedral Social Committee have organised a Table Quiz in aid of the Haiti earthquake victims. It takes place on Tuesday night next, February 2nd in the Westwood Hotel at 8.00. Tables of 4 for €40. Donations and raffle prizes welcome. All proceeds go to Trocaire volunteers in Haiti. 'For more information, contact 522125.

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