The Quotation of the Week (April 28-May 4, 2013)

A quotation of Oscar Wilde on 'tragedy,' compiled by Jerome D'Costa

Photo (Sauble Beach in Ontario, Canada: Sept. 3, 2011) © Jerome D'Costa

The Quotation of the Week (April 21-27, 2013)

A quotation of H. Jackson Brown Jr. on 'your power to change,' compiled by Jerome D'Costa

Photo (Toronto: August 10, 2011) © Jerome D'Costa

The Quotation of the Week (April 14-20, 2013)

 A quotation of Mahatma Gandhi on 'Christ and Christians,' compiled by Jerome D'Costa

Photo: (A statue of Jesus with two children on St. Lawrence the Martyr Catholic Church compound in Scarborough, Toronto: Oct. 28, 2012) © Jerome D'Costa

'Monsignor Meth' Pleads Guilty to US Federal Drug Charge

Monsignor Kevin Wallin speaking at the Catholic Centre of the Diocese of Bridgeport, Connecticut in 2006

Photo courtesy: AP

Monsignor Kevin Wallin (61), a Catholic priest, of Waterbury in Connecticut, USA, pleaded guilty April 2 in Hartford to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute four pounds of methamphetamine (meth) drug. He had made more than $300,000 in sales from his Connecticut apartment where he was living a retired life. He also owned and ran an adult video and sex toy shop in North Haven to launder his ill-earned money. He is to be sentenced in late June. He is likely to receive 10 or more years of prison term, reports the New York Daily News. Father Wallin himself had problem with drug addiction. A local newspaper gave him the epithet 'Monsignor Meth,' as he traded in drugs.

Prosecutors said the priest had his accomplices in California mail this drug to him, who then sold it to others from his apartment. Three of his accomplices have already been arrested.

Father Wallin was arrested in January this year. After receiving information that he sells drugs, an undercover officer purchased meth from him six times between September 20 of last year to January 2 this year and paid more than $3,400 in total for 23 grams of this drug. US federal agents also used wiretaps, surveillance and informants to monitor the operation.

As a priest, Father Wallin served St. Augustine parish in Bridgeport for nine years until he resigned in June of 2011 mentioning his health and personal reasons. Previously he had served in another parish in Danbury. He was ordained a priest in 1984. According to The Connecticut Post, this priest “served as the secretary to two Bridgeport bishops – Walter W. Curtis and Edward Egan, now a Cardinal.”

Father Wallin was living his retired life in the apartment. In May of 2012, when the Diocesan officials came to know of some of his other problems including “sexually inappropriate behavior with other men in the church rectory,” he was suspended from public ministry, but still he was a priest. Brian D. Wallace, the diocesan spokesman, said the diocese was not aware of Wallin’s involvement with drugs business when he was suspended by the Diocese. Now  Father Wallin faces removal from priesthood by the Vatican.

After the guilty plea, the Diocese of Bridgeport, in a statement said: “Msgr. Wallin’s guilty plea represents an important step in his coming to terms with his own actions and their impact on others. It is a difficult moment for all of us but we hope it is also the first step in rebuilding his life. We pray that he moves toward a healing and wholeness.”

Why do Catholics need to know of such sad stories?

Some Catholics are allergic to learning of scandalous and sad incidents of Catholic Church personnel and try to be defensive unnecessarily and unsuccessfully. They need to be realistic and be ready to cope with the situation.

Catholics need to know these to come out of their stupor that all that looks good, all that sweet talk and “pious” demeanor may also contain the opposite elements.

They need to learn lessons from other respected Church personnels’ missteps, mistakes, omissions and also commissions.

They need to be alert so that they don’t fall prey to such persons.

As Jesus Christ preached the Good News, he also did not forget to mention the bad news. In his parables, he speaks of disobedience of the younger son to his father and leaving home in arrogance and returning home as a penitent. Jesus also speaks of robbery in the Good Samaritan story. He speaks of seeds falling on good ground as well as on infertile and rocky ground bearing no fruits. Jesus always chided the Pharisees and Scribes for their hypocritical behavior. 

The cloak of silence and keeping public Church personnel's persistent bad behaviour secret, breeds more bad behaviour and a lot of damages to the ordinary faithful.

  

The Quotation of the Week (April 7-13, 2013)

A quotation of St. Francis of Assissi on 'death,' compiled by Jerome D'Costa

Photo: Three birds on an electric cable (Toronto: March 30, 2013) © Jerome D'Costa

The Quotation of the Week (March 24-30, 2013)

A quotation of Ronald Reagan on 'helping someone,' compiled by Jerome D'Costa

Photo (Buddha statue in a garden store in Toronto: May 31, 2012) © Jerome D'Costa

Pope Francis is Installed Today As the 266th Pope

Recently-elected Pope Francis got installed today through the inaugural Mass he offered at St. Peter’s Square, where about 150,000 people were present, report different news sources. 

In his Mass, the Pope received a pallium (a two-inch wide sheep-wool scarf worn over the neck, chest and shoulders, signifying a bishop – in this case, the Bishop of Rome – being the good shepherd of his sheep all over the world), a fisherman’s ring (representing the Apostle Peter -- the first Pope – with the keys, symbolizing papal authority over the Universal Church) and a book of Gospels (symbolizing the Pope being the preacher of the Good News of Jesus Christ). 

Among the present in the Mass were a number of royal dignitaries, heads of state, and diplomats from over 132 countries besides some representatives of different religions, including various Christian denominations,  Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism and several hundred cardinals, bishops, priests and men and women from Religious Orders. 

Unlike his predecessors who gave homilies in Latin, Pope Francis gave his homily in Italian language. He said that the Church’s mission “means respecting each of God’s creatures and respecting the environment in which we live. It means protecting people, showing loving concern for each and every person, especially children, the elderly, those in need, who are often the last we think about.” 

“I would like to ask all those who have positions of responsibility, let us be protectors of creation, protectors of God’s plan inscribed in nature, protectors of one another and the environment,” he further mentioned.

After the Mass, visiting diplomats and visiting representatives of foreign governments greeted the Pope inside St. Peter’s Basilica.

It is noteworthy that breaking the protocol, Pope Francis, while passing by spectators on an open-top Mercedes-Benz SUV, stopped to kiss a baby and he also came out of his vehicle to greet and kiss a totally disabled man. 

The Pope’s humility, austerity and love of common people, have been drawing attention of people of all faiths throughout the world.

Pope Francis offered his inaugural Mass under a canopy erected at the foot of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican

Pope Francis is offering Mass

Pope Francis is blessing the participants

The pope is praying in front a statue of the Madonna

Participants facing St. Peter's Basilica

Participants and pilgrims from different countries

Participants in Pope Francis' inaugural Mass at St. Peter's Square

The Pope is riding an open-top vehicle

The bell at St. Peter's Basilica announces the end of the papal Mass

The Pope kisses a baby

Pope Francis greets and blesses a disabled man in the audience

Photo courtesy: (From top: First six and Nos. 10 and 11 photos - BBC; Nos. 7, 8 and 9 photos - CBC News)