Re: Re: reorganisation and destruction of irish catholic churches

@Sirius wrote:

FOSCC were so focused on embarrassing their own hierarchy that they still do not realise the extent to which the appeal decision has advanced the cause of Secularism. Ian Lumley must find it amusing to hear the turkeys welcome Christmas.

Now Sirius, regarding the FOSCC’s role in the Cobh debacle, there are some points that you would need to correct.

!. The FOSCC never set out to embarrass the Bishop of Cloyne – despite the dirty tricks practised on them by his agents. If it becomes necessary, documented examples of this can be provided.

2. The FOSCC directed its campaign against the Trustees of St. Colman’s Cathedral.

3. While recourse was made to the civil authorities in this matter, that came about because of the belligerent and uncompromising attitude taken by the Trustees, and by Fr. Denis Reidy, the Parish Priest of Carrigtwohill who is, in many respects, the agent provocateur in this entire affair and the one whose warped sense of political judgement ulltimately drove the bus into the wall. While the FOSCC tried every possible means of settling their concerns in house, the Trustees and their agents made no effort whatsoever to go any way to meet them. What alternative had they but to use the civil instances available to them?

4. If there was a moot point in law concerning the application of the guidelines, which Sirius mentions, then the INTELLIGENT thing to have done was to ensure that they were NOT tested. Thereby, the status quo – for whatever it was worth – would have been maintained. Initiating a planning application, as the Trustees did, when such doubt existed was foolhardy. You cannot blame the FOSCC for the outcome of the Trustees’ folly.

5. Also, it is disingenous to suggest that the Trustees entered into this with their legal eyes closed. There was already available to the Trustees a vein of legal counsel -at least since the Edenderry case, that made it specifically clear to the Irish Bishops and to the Bishop of Cloyne in particular, that were the law tested it would be likely to end as in fact it did in the ABP’s decision. Furthermore, the same basic position was available to the Heritage Council in a legal opinion sought by them in relation to another matter. I am sure that they would make copies of it available to you on request. So where is the big surprise? If the Trustees of St Colman’s Cathedral were that concerned about encroaching secularism why did they take the reckless decision to seek planning permission when they knew (or should have known) what the likely outcome would be?

6. I understand that the official contempt exhibited to the FOSCC by the Bishop of Cloyne and his office is so petty that he will not even refer to them by their official name in his correspondence with them.