Blue Murder in the Cathedral

"Church apologises "

http://www.skynews.com.au/story.asp?id=181456

A racist outburst by a leading member of the Catholic Church has been caught on camera and posted on video website YouTube.

The clip shows the Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral in Melbourne, the Reverend Geoffrey Baron, confronting a group of youths riding skateboards on the church property.

He tells them to leave, but as they taunt him, his demands become more abusive.

Joe Tucci from the Australian Childhood Foundation says the remarks were offensive and the Church should arrange anger management and counselling.

Vicar General of the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne, Monsignor Les Tomlinson has apologised unreservedly for the remarks made by the priest.

I can understand FGB being provoked and angry under these cirucmstances. However, his response was disproportionate. In today's climate, there is a certain percentage of the population among whom you automatically forfeit all moral legitimacy if you make a negative racial/ ethnic statement. Doing that is a deal-breaker, one that automatically makes you more sinning than sinned against, regardless of what the other person (or group) was doing to you.

Anyway, these skateheads should be thankful that Guilfuss never got hisself ordained (apparently he declined all attempts to recruit him the clergy by maintaining steadfastly that he wanted to pursue a career where he could produce some visible results). Had he been corporeally present thereat, the Lunar Love God would'a flogged 'em with rosary beads, as the corrupted priest who was protagonist of Anthony Burgess' novel Earthly Powers did to a Nazi war criminal.

Heck, I'd even settle for Fr Bob Maguire (of John Safran fame) giving these bogues the sharp edge of his tongue, as long as it could be captured on ThouTube.

UPDATE: Well, my desire to have Fr Bob putting the boot into theological opponents via online video has been partly met, now that NINEMSN has posted this video expose http://ninemsn.video.msn.com/v/en-au/v.htm?f=39&g=ad204a6d-3a51-47f0-af65-24f5b5986f4b&p=aunews_auaca&t=m164&mediaid=106151 , with him using his acerbic tongue on Hillsong. FBMG is particularly steadfast in upholding the Catholic Church's 1,700-year-old [T]radition abhorring the use of religion as a means of accumulating wealth. Channel Nine, too, is shocked! - shocked! - at the idea that people would do things to make huge amounts of money. Kerry Packer could not be reached for comment, even by Fr Bob.

Bottom story of the day . . .

YouTube Howard parody not as popular as original

We thought the original parody was better, too.

Paris worth a Mass?

Was blind, but now she doth see... Isn't "world peace" and "saving the rhinos in Africa" supposed to be somewhere on this checklist?

Imprisoned hotel heiress Paris Hilton has said she believes God has given her a new chance and she plans to stop acting dumb and put her influence to good use.

Hilton called television journalist Barbara Walters from the medical wing of a Los Angeles jail, where she is being held for violating probation in a drink-driving case, and Walters recounted the conversation on her ABC television show, The View. "I'm not the same person I was," Hilton told Walters. "I used to act dumb. It was an act. I am 26 years old, and that act is no longer cute. It is not who I am, nor do I want to be that person for the young girls who looked up to me. I know now that I can make a difference, that I have the power to do that. I have been thinking that I want to do different things when I am out of here. I have become much more spiritual. God has given me this new chance." [...]

"I told my attorneys not to appeal the judge's decision," Hilton said, describing being in jail as "by far the hardest thing I have ever done".... When she is released, Hilton said, she might like to help in the fields of breast cancer or multiple sclerosis, diseases that her grandmothers suffered, or build a "Paris Hilton playhouse" for sick children.

Hilton, who said other inmates had been friendly, added that her skin was very dry because she was not allowed any moisturiser. "It doesn't matter," she said, "I'm not that superficial girl. I haven't looked in the mirror since I got here."

- "Hilton says God gave her a new chance" (Tuesday 12 June 2007) http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=272240

And as for the simple life...

Now that Paris Hilton is back in jail for the long haul, she will be forced to do the thing she fears most in prison -- use the toilet. During her first three-day stint behind bars, Hilton was reportedly so worried guards would photograph her on the toilet that she refused to eat or drink anything. The diet left the hotel heiress seriously ill, and prompted prison officials to send her home to serve the rest of the sentence in house arrest. But the prison break was overruled by an LA Court at the weekend, and now Hilton is once again facing the horror of using the stainless steel lavatory -- situated in plain view of prison guards. "She was absolutely terrified that one of the guards or staffers would get her with the cell-phone cam and it would wind up on the Internet," a source told the NY Daily News yesterday.

-- "Paris 'terrified of the prison toilet'" (Monday 11 June 2007) http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=272283

This is a job for Ewan McGregor, or else Jim, Kevin, Oz and Stiffler.