Posted on 04/30/2018 6:37:57 PM PDT by Mrs. Don-o
(April 26, Two days before Alfie Evans' death, an Italian newspaper recounts the moral failure of the Catholic Hierarchy of Britain)
Doctors and judges have already denied Alfie's right to life and his parents' freedom of movement. Now the Archbishop of Liverpool and Cardinal Nichols have expelled from the hospital Father Gabriele Brusco, the Italian priest who had run to Alfie's bedside on April 16th, given the unavailability of any local priest.
The Archbishop of Liverpool goes to Rome to reassure the Pope about the bravery of the doctors of the Alder Hey Hospital and the correctness of the British judges who sentenced Alfie Evans to death; and in the meantime he drives Fr. Gabriele Brusco away from the hospital, leaving Tom and Kate without any spiritual assistance or tangible testimony of human closeness.
Even the most critical observer of the English Church (and others) could never have imagined such a scandal. The image dear to Pope Francis of the "shepherd with the smell of sheep" is changed into "shepherd stained with the blood of the sheep".
The Catholic proprietor of the Archdiocese of Liverpool, Malcolm McMahon, claims that in all these months his pastoral commitments have prevented him from going the 7 kilometers (4 miles) that separate his residence from the Alder Hey Hospital; on the other hand, on Tuesday night he finds time to go to Rome to be able to attend Pope Francis' Wednesday general audience, followed by a brief private meeting. Archbishop McMahon has thus been able to repeat to the Pope the pile of lies he has been propagating since Alfie's case has gained international attention that can no longer be denied.
Read again the note the bishops of England and Wales published on the afternoon of April 18th, a few hours after the private audience that the Pope gave to Thomas Evans, Alfie's father. Here is an excerpt:
"We affirm our belief that all those who have made the harrowing decisions concerning Alfie Evans' care, act with integrity and for the good of Alfie, as they see it.
"The professionalism and care for seriously ill children demonstrated at Alder Hey Hospital must be recognized and affirmed. We know that recently published public criticism of their work is not well-founded. Our chaplaincy consistently provided attention for the staff, and [Alfie's] family. "
As you can see, the first part follows the unacceptable position repeatedly expressed by Cardinal Vincenzo Paglia, president of the Pontifical Academy for Life [ed. note: as recently gutted and reorganized] which is on good terms with the English episcopate.
As for the rest it is clear that McMahon has always deliberately ignored Alfie and his parents, and not only him (suffice the story of the week in Liverpool of our Benedetta Frigerio, click here ). In the report by the Archdiocese of Liverpool on the Alfie Evans case, published on April 13, 2018, by the spokesman of the diocese Peter Heneghan, it is said that the auxiliary bishop Tom Williams "offered support to the doctors and staff". As for Alfie, "he did not meet his parents who - as far as we know - are not Catholics".
Supporters who have been working hard for Alfie think it very strange that the Archbishop of Liverpool would not even know that the child is a baptized Catholic as is his father. Who knows why all the pastoral concern is for the health care staff (are they all Catholics?) And nothing for patients. After the meeting with the Pontiff, the English weekly The Tablet Mgr. McMahon said he had expressed to Pope Francis how "the Catholics of Liverpool are heartbroken for Alfie and his parents and continue to offer support and prayers".
Some Catholics may be, but certainly not their bishop. The bishop, while he was campaigning to tell the Pope how good the doctors are and how right the judges are, exerted unbearable pressure to expel Father Gabriele Brusco from hospital, who was at Alfie's bedside since April 16th. Which he finally managed today, thanks to the combined efforts of Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, the diocese in which Fr. Brusco currently resides.
Before McMahon went to Rome, the Auxiliary of Liverpool Monsignor Williams had summoned Father Gabriele to his office : a 45-minute snub in the waiting room and then an hour of confrontation on the significance of his presence to Alder Hey when [Fr. Gabriele's] only purpose was supporting Alfie's family given the unavailability of any local Catholic priest.
The interview must not have been particularly friendly, given what happened next. Certainly some health workers did not like Father Gabriele pointing out their right-duty of conscientious objection, that the personnel in charge of removing Alfie's ventilator [should not cooperate]. For those who are killing, the call to conscience is intolerable, and perhaps that must be the complaint they brought up to the archbishop.
However, after the interview with the Archbishop, Father Gabriele remained in his place, alongside Tom, Kate and Alfie, knowing he could count on the tacit support of the Secretariat of State (after the Pope's intervention). But after McMahon's visit to Rome yesterday, Vatican support had begun to falter, and at the same time Cardinal Nichols - who, through his auxiliary Mgr. Sherrington, had already sent an email to Father Gabriele - had him recalled in London, by the pastor where he served for some time. Given the moral and spiritual level of the characters involved, we will not be surprised if we soon discover Fr. Gabriel has been forced to leave England and find another mission land. Obviously the Archbishop of Liverpool claimed that spiritual assistance will be guaranteed by the chaplain, but is anyone really willing to believe those who do nothing but say lies?
In the end, however, the shameful fact remains of a Catholic archbishop who, in cahoots with the cardinal primate of England, takes away Alfie's parents' spiritual and human comfort, after doctors and judges have already taken away the little child's right to life and his parents' freedom of movement. A shame for the whole of the English Catholic Church, whose tradition rich in martyrs does not deserve such unworthy successors. It makes one wonder what strange intertwining and interests there are between English bishops and the Establishment represented by the caste of doctors and judges.
Riccardo Cascioli
The Catholic Church is at its finest when it is counter cultural. When it seeks accommodation with a culture that embraces hedonistic debauchery, abortion and atheism, it loses its credibility and fails in its spiritual mission to the people.
Liverpool is one of the few cities with two cathedrals and two Archbishops.
If the Church of England Archbishop had more (any?) support for Alfie they might have even got a few converts to make up for their declining flock.
I fully agree. Here is a reading from the OT concerning ministers who are derelict. Perfect for what we have just observed.
Malachi 2:1-9
And now, O priests, this command is for you. 2If you will not listen, if you will not lay it to heart to give glory to my name, says the LORD of hosts, then I will send the curse on you and I will curse your blessings; indeed I have already cursed them,* because you do not lay it to heart. 3I will rebuke your offspring, and spread dung on your faces, the dung of your offerings, and I will put you out of my presence.*
4 Know, then, that I have sent this command to you, so that my covenant with Levi may hold, says the LORD of hosts. 5My covenant with him was a covenant of life and well-being, which I gave him; this called for reverence, and he revered me and stood in awe of my name. 6True instruction was in his mouth, and no wrong was found on his lips. He walked with me in integrity and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity. 7For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts. 8But you have turned aside from the way; you have caused many to stumble by your instruction; you have corrupted the covenant of Levi, says the LORD of hosts, 9and so I make you despised and abased before all the people, inasmuch as you have not kept my ways but have shown partiality in your instruction.
This is what the wicked are like—
always free of care, they go on amassing wealth.
Then do the British Christians all serve the Beast? Because the other churches in Britain (Anglican, which is still the majority; plus Presbyterian/Church of Scotland; the Methodist chapels; the Baptists, the various flavors of immigrant Orthodox--- all the other churches in Britain --- said not a mumblin' word for Alfie, and were not expected to.
You only hear about the shameful moral dereliction of the Catholic hierarchy, precisely because people expected them to do something for this doomed boy and his suffering parents.
Politically, neither the Conservatives nor Labor nor any other party with current representation in Parliament, did one single thing for them.
Who DID support Alfie? As far as I know, IN BRITAIN --- and somebody else fill in here --- the thousands of supporters came from SPUC (Society for the Protection of the Unborn Child, a pro-life group), predominantly Catholics; and the Christian Legal Society (organized to advance Christian religious liberty) which is predominantly Protestant.
And one member of the clergy ministered to Tom and Kate: Fr. Gabriele Brusco, an Italian Catholic priest, who was yanked off the scene by the British Bishops.
The whole scene is shameful for all.
And there was one stand-out exception: the magnificent efforts of Pope Francis (Stunning! Of all people, The deeply compromised Francisoid!!) who brushed past his own pro-Death appointee, Paglia, and made the arrangements for the Italian govt. to offer Alfie Italian citizenship and military Medevac air transport, and for the Vatican Bambino Gesu hospital to offer him pr-admission and care/treatment, all at no expense to the Evans family.
But in general: only place you'll find backbone in any Faith group in Britain (or, I daresay, anywhere) are the valiant pro-life laity.
And for ONCE in Pope Francis' career I can say: viva il Papa.
That ain't shabby.
Tell us, what did your denomination or non-denomination do?
Really excellent post, Mrs. Good for you.
One gets very tired of the trite and generally inaccurate portrayal of Catholicism on FR.
My denomination?
My God sent his only Son to die for the sins of rbe world that we may believe in him and have everlasting life.
The Roman Catholic Church is a false doctrine, and in a way more dangerous than Islam because it flirts with the truth here and there and deceives many, just like revelations said it would.
I know no one is going to go and say I’m right, but I will say the Bible is right, and those who ignore it to follow man man stuff is done at their own peril.
No, I’m not poorly informed either, the evidence is clear. A lot of people just don’t want to o accept it, just like a lot of people won’t accept there’s a globalist movement trying to impose a one world order. Nobody wants to believe it.
You’re right. No backbone.
Brits seem very weak.
Scared Big Sister may have retribution against critics of their health care system?
noticed no mention in your post of support or opposition from “the religion of peace”. How does this fit under sharia law?
You show deficits in your knowledge of Catholicism. As a lifelong student and now a teacher of the Catholic Faith, I welcome you to private message me if you want to carry this discussion further.
I think you are interested in the truth; and as fellow disciples, let us approach the Truth who is Jesus Christ Our Lord.
Great article you posted yesterday, Mrs. Don-o. It was so shameful what happened to Alfie; wonderful (and amazing and beyond understanding) that the Pope took a stand and took action. If I were those young parents, I would emigrate immediately to Italy, which seems to be the only country in the world that really gets it. I thought I had read that the Italian parliament voted to give Alfie citizenship? The Catholic lens is a bit clearer there.
“Whatever its motives and means, direct euthanasia consists in putting an end to the lives of handicapped, sick, or dying persons. It is morally unacceptable.
“Thus an act or omission which, of itself or by intention, causes death in order to eliminate suffering constitutes a murder gravely contrary to the dignity of the human person and to the respect due to the living God, his Creator. The error of judgment into which one can fall in good faith does not change the nature of this MURDEROUS act, which must always be forbidden and excluded.
“Even if death is thought imminent, the ordinary care owed to a sick person (food, water) cannot be legitimately interrupted.”
I love the Catholic Catechism (2277).
Yeah, if I were in Tom & Kate's position, I'd emigrate to Italy. If and when God grants them another pregnancy, they need to get out to escape the tender kindness of Holy Mother the State.
I agree about the Catechism. I love it. Clearly and beautifully written. A great guide for any Christian.
Heartbreaking, start to finish. I cannot imagine the depraved hearts of these bureaucrats in the hospital nor the moral confusion, it would appear, in the top ranks of the diocese.
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