Father Burns has defended his "symbolic action", saying it was a denunciation of the Israeli state, not an attack on the Jewish faith.
Fr Burns' defiance makes the Catholic church's apology, in Keeping Stock's considered opinion, a Clayton's apology, and an exercise in butt-covering - and that is not good enough.
Meanwhile, the same article reports that Police are "considering laying charges" against Fr Burns. Good show we say, but there surely isn't much to consider. A crime was committed, Fr Burns had 'fessed up; an open-and-shut case we would have thought. Apparently not. I'm sure Keeping Stock readers will remember "Megaphone Len" Richards, who assaulted protesters outside the 2007 Labour Party conference, in full view of police officers and tv cameras. Although Richards's anger problem was beamed into our living rooms, he has never, to our knowledge, been charged - perhaps the Police are still "considering laying charges"!! The NZ Police would be wise to observe that there has been a change of government, and make their decisions based on whether or not offences have been committed, not on the political affiliations of the alleged offender.
14 comments:
I really don't follow your logic. Individuals can always act counter to the organisations to which they belong. It happens in politics, it happens everywhere.
If two individual members of an organization act in opposition to each other, which one is representative of the organization?
Fr Burns can have his publicity for his cause considerably enhanced if he is arrested,charged and tried in court.
A conviction would really top it off.
Minto and friends should be protesting for this to happen.
Interesting comment Brian. I guess that what you are saying is a reality, but at the same time, the organisation is always going to be tainted by the actions of its members, particularly so the church. My point was that it seemed to me to be an exercise in damage limitation by the Catholic heirarchy.
I suppose it could be an exercise in damage control, but knowing John Dew (and I see Bishop Pat Dunn from Auckland has joined in), it would be first and foremost a sincere expression of regret for the pain caused. If as a by-product that helps limit damage, so be it.
Police are apparently considering laying charges so Anonymous may be right.
Brian - given your knowledge of the people involved, I take your word for it that the motivation was right.
As far as the other matter goes, there's a perverse kind of logic at work. Fr Burns has broken the law, by his own admission. If he is prosecuted, he becomes a "martyr" for the cause. If he doesn't, he gets away with a crime which you or I could expect to be prosecuted for. Either way, he and his "cause" will be the winners. Something's not quite right here...
INV2 - I am with Brian Harmer in saying that the apology from Archbishop John Dew would be genuine. I am not a Catholic but John Dew has been a friend since the mid 1960's long - before he joined the priesthood.
He is a genuine `good bugger' and while our contact is infrequent these days he has not changed and he would be appalled at the actions of Fr Burns.
Not sure the term "good bugger" is the best to use here...
As for Minto and the courts; he’s should be bloody lucky his girlfriend from around the time of the 81 tour never took him to court.
Leg Break you are probably right about `that phrase' not being a good choice.
However, in John Dews case you need have no worries he is far to good a joker to go down that track.
Nice use of “go down” too…
lol - now you're just being pedantic LB
Interesting that the only thing of interest I’ve said on this thread gets overshadowed by the double entendres…
Now that you've piqued our interest LB, feel free to tell all - it's not a story I've heard before...
Had a reputation within HART of being a Tony Veitch.
That’s why the female HART co-leader at the start of 81 whose name escapes me (McKenzie or something?) stood down a few months out from the tour, and why the less radical COST was formed as a breakaway.
She couldn’t stand being in the same room as him.
The first time I have heard that Leg Break but doesn't really surprise me. To carry on the way Minto has over the years you probably need to have `a mean streak'.
I would prefer not to be in the same town as Minto and certainly not in the same room.
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