Father Sean Sheehy / St. Mary’s Listowel/Radio Kerry/YouTube screen shot
Denver, Colo., Nov 2, 2022 / 14:30 pm (CNA).
An Irish bishop apologized for a priest’s homily that described abortion and homosexual acts as examples of sinful behavior.
Bishop Ray Browne of Kerry published an apology on Nov. 1 for “the deep upset and hurt caused by the contents of the homilies“ given over the weekend by Father Seán Sheehy.
Video of the sermon was shared widely on social media and sparked both strong criticism and support from commentators.
Sheehy, who is retired, had been filling in for a parish priest at St. Mary’s Church in Listowel, a County Kerry town of fewer than 5,000 people. The reprimanded cleric on Wednesday told Irish media the bishop was “muzzling the truth in order to appease people.”
In his recent sermon, the Irish priest reflected on sin, penitence, sainthood, and God’s forgiveness.
“You rarely hear about sin, but it’s rampant,” he said. “We see it in the promotion of abortion. We see it for example in this lunatic approach of transgenderism.”
Another example, Sheehy said, was “the promotion of sex between two men and two women. That is sinful. That is a mortal sin and people don’t seem to realize it. It’s a fact, a reality, and we need to listen to God about it because if we don’t, then there is no hope for those people.”
Several of the congregation heckled the priest and some walked out.
“And so God is also telling you and me today, look, you have a responsibility to seek out those who are lost. You have a responsibility to call people to an awareness of the fact that sin is destructive, sin is detrimental, and sin will lead us to hell,” the priest said.
Then Sheehy reflected that the saints honored in November are former sinners.
“When we honor the saints on the first of this coming month, we honor people who are saints. Why are there saints? Because they’re repented and because they sought forgiveness. As somebody said one time, heaven is full of converted sinners,” he said.
“And so today, God says to us, ‘I have come to call sinners, but if you don’t admit you’re a sinner, then you’re not listening to my call and I can’t do anything for you because it’s a two-way street.’ Now, there are people you see who won’t like to hear what I’m saying, but the day you die, you will find out.
“What I’m saying is not what I invented, it is not what I came up with, [it] is what God is saying. And the day you die, you will find out that is the truth. Our prayer for people is that you, it won’t be too late for people. But how will people know that God wants to forgive them if we don’t tell them? How will people who are lost be found if we as God’s people don’t call them and say look, God loves you, he has come to call sinners, but he wants you to have life and have it to the full,” he continued.
“That’s what he wants. He wants you to live life to the fullest … we can only live it through, with, and in his grace,” the priest said.
Bishop Browne’s statement regarding “the offending homilies” said that “the views expressed do not represent the Christian position.”
“The homily at a regular weekend parish Mass is not appropriate for such issues to be spoken of in such terms,” the bishop continued.
“The Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is a Gospel of love and ever proclaims the dignity of every human person. It calls on us all to ever have total respect for one another,” Browne added, saying: “This fundamental Christian teaching was beautifully proclaimed” in recent readings at Mass.
Speaking to Radio Kerry, Father Sheehy said the bishop had stopped him from saying Mass.
“I know myself what I said cannot be disproven by any honest-to-God Christian or Catholic teaching, and that’s the bottom line,” the priest said.
Irish newspapers were quick to report the priest’s controversial past support for a convicted sex offender.
Sheehy was a character witness for Daniel Foley, a former bouncer convicted of sexually assaulting a woman in the parking lot of a nightclub in 2008. He joined dozens of the accused’s supporters in court when the conviction was announced in December 2009 and shook the hand of the then 35-year-old Foley, and made disparaging comments concerning the woman’s status as a single mother, The Irish Examiner reported in 2013.
Then-bishop of Kerry Bill Murphy censured Sheehy, who resigned from his parish in Castlegregory soon after the verdict but continued to support Foley.
There are about 140,000 people living in the territory of the Diocese of Kerry, the vast majority of whom are Catholic.
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Seminarians at Good Shepherd Major Seminary in Nigeria’s Kaduna state where four students were kidnapped and one, Michael Nnadi, was killed in 2020. / Credit: Good Shepherd Major Seminary Kaduna/ Facebook
ACI Africa, Jan 26, 2024 / 11:40 am (CNA).
Last year, 2023, was a difficult year for Brother Peter Olarewaju, a postulant at the Benedictine monastery in Nigeria’s Ilorin Diocese who was kidnapped alongside two others at the monastery. Olarewaju underwent different kinds of torture and witnessed the murder of his companion, Brother Godwin Eze.
After his release, Olarewaju said his kidnapping was a blessing, as it had strengthened his faith. He even said that he is now prepared to die for his faith.
“I am prepared to die a martyr in this dangerous country. I am ready any moment to die for Jesus. I feel this very strongly,” Olarewaju said in an interview with ACI Africa, CNA’s news partner in Africa, on Nov. 26, 2023, days after he was set free by suspected Fulani kidnappers.
The late Brother Godwin Eze who was kidnapped from the Benedictine monastery in Nigeria’s Ilorin Diocese and murdered by his kidnappers in October 2023. Credit: Benedictine monastery, Eruku
The monk’s testimony is not an isolated case in Nigeria, where kidnapping from seminaries, monasteries, and other places of religious formation has been on the rise. While some victims of the kidnappings have been killed, those who survived the ordeal have shared that they have come back stronger — and ready to die for their faith.
Seminarian Melchior Maharini, a Tanzanian who was kidnapped alongside a priest from the Missionaries of Africa community in the Diocese of Minna in August 2023, said the suffering he endured during the three weeks he was held captive strengthened his faith. “I felt my faith grow stronger. I accepted my situation and surrendered everything to God,” he told ACI Africa on Sept. 1, 2023.
Father Paul Sanogo (left) and Seminarian Melchior Maharini (right) were kidnapped from their community of Missionaries of Africa in Nigeria’s Diocese of Minna. Credit: Vatican Media
Many other seminarians in Nigeria have been kidnapped by Boko Haram militants, Fulani herdsmen, and other bandit groups operating in Africa’s most populous nation.
In August 2023, seminarian David Igba told ACI Africa that he stared death in the face when a car in which he was traveling on his way to the market in Makurdi was sprayed with bullets by Fulani herdsmen.
Seminarian Na’aman Danlami died when the Fulanis attacked St. Raphael Fadan Kamantan Parish on the night of Sept. 7, 2023. Credit: Photo courtesy of Aid to the Church in Need
In September 2023, seminarian Na’aman Danlami was burned alive in a botched kidnapping incident in the Diocese of Kafanchan. A few days earlier, another seminarian, Ezekiel Nuhu, from the Archdiocese of Abuja, who had gone to spend his holidays in Southern Kaduna, was kidnapped.
Two years prior, in October 2021, Christ the King Major Seminary of Kafanchan Diocese was attacked and three seminarians were kidnapped.
Seminarian David Igba during a pastoral visit at Scared Heart Udei of the Catholic Diocese of Makurdi. Credit: David Igba
In one attack that attracted global condemnation in 2020, seminarian Michael Nnadi was brutally murdered after he was kidnapped alongside three others from Good Shepherd Major Seminary in the Diocese of Kaduna. Those behind the kidnapping confessed that they killed Nnadi because he would not stop preaching to them, fearlessly calling them to conversion.
After Nnadi’s murder, his companions who survived the kidnapping proceeded to St. Augustine Major Seminary in Jos in Nigeria’s Plateau state, where they courageously continued with their formation.
The tomb of seminarian Michael Nnadi, who was brutally murdered after he was kidnapped alongside three others from the Good Shepherd Major Seminary in the Catholic Diocese of Kaduna in 2020. Credit: Father Samuel Kanta Sakaba, rector of a Good Shepherd Major Seminary in Kaduna
As Christian persecution rages in Nigeria, seminary instructors in the country have shared with ACI Africa that there is an emerging spirituality in Nigerian seminaries that many may find difficult to grasp: the spirituality of martyrdom.
They say that in Nigeria, those who embark on priestly formation are continuously being made to understand that their calling now entails being ready to defend the faith to the point of death. More than ever before, the seminarians are being reminded that they should be ready to face persecution, including the possibility of being kidnapped and even killed.
Father Peter Hassan, rector of St. Augustine Major Seminary in the Archdiocese of Jos, Plateau state, said that seminaries, just like the wider Nigerian society, have come to terms with “the imminence of death” for being Christian.
Father Peter Hassan, rector of St. Augustine Major Seminary in Jos, Nigeria, walks with an unnamed companion. Credit: Father Peter Hassan
“Nigerian Christians have been victims of violence of apocalyptic proportions for nearly half a century. I can say that we have learned to accept the reality of imminent death,” Hassan said in a Jan. 12 interview with ACI Africa.
He added: “Nevertheless, it is quite inspiring and comforting to see the many young men who are still ready to embrace a life that will certainly turn them into critically endangered species. Yet these same young men are willing to preach the gospel of peace and embrace the culture of dialogue for peaceful coexistence.”
Shortly after Nnadi’s kidnapping and killing, St. Augustine Major Seminary opened its doors to the three seminarians who survived the kidnapping.
Hassan told ACI Africa that the presence of the three former students of Good Shepherd Major Seminary was “a blessing” to the community of St. Augustine Major Seminary.
“Their presence in our seminary was a blessing to our seminarians, a wake-up call to the grim reality that not even the very young are spared by those mindless murderers,” Hassan said.
Back at Good Shepherd, seminarians have remained resilient, enrolling in large numbers even after the 2020 kidnapping and Nnadi’s murder.
Good Shepherd Major Seminary in Kaduna, Nigeria. Credit: Father Samuel Kanta Sakaba, rector of a Good Shepherd Major Seminary in Kaduna
In an interview with ACI Africa, Father Samuel Kanta Sakaba, the rector of Good Shepherd Major Seminary, said that instructors at the Catholic institution, which has a current enrollment of 265 seminarians, make it clear that being a priest in Nigeria presents the seminarians with the danger of being kidnapped or killed.
ACI Africa asked Sakaba whether or not the instructors discuss with the seminarians the risks they face, including that of being kidnapped, or even killed, to which the priest responded: “Yes, as formators, we have the duty to take our seminarians through practical experiences — both academic, spiritual, and physical experiences. We share this reality of persecution with them, but for them to understand, we connect the reality of Christian persecution in Nigeria to the experiences of Jesus. This way, we feel that it would be easier for them to not only have the strength to face what they are facing but to also see meaning in their suffering.”
“Suffering is only meaningful if it is linked with the pain of Jesus,” the priest said. “The prophet Isaiah reminds us that ‘by his wounds, we are healed.’ Jesus also teaches us that unless the grain of wheat falls on the ground and dies, it will remain a single grain, but that it is only when it falls and dies that it yields a rich harvest. Teachings such as these are the ones that deepen our resilience in the face of persecution.”
Seminarians and their instructors at St. Augustine Major Seminary in Jos, Nigeria. Credit: Father Peter Hassan
Sakaba spoke of the joy of those who look forward to “going back to God in a holy way.”
“Whatever happens, we will all go back to God. How joyful it is to go back to God in a holy way, in a way of sacrifice.” he said. “This holiness is accepting this cross, this pain. Jesus accepted the pain of Calvary, and that led him to his resurrection. Persecution purifies the individual for them to become the finished product for God. I believe that these attacks are God’s project, and no human being can stop God’s work.”
However, the rector clarified that those who enroll at the seminary do not go out seeking danger.
“People here don’t go out putting themselves in situations of risk,” he said. “But when situations such as these happen, the teachings of Jesus and his persecution give us courage to face whatever may come our way.”
Sakaba said that although priestly formation in Nigeria is embracing the “spirituality of martyrdom,” persecution in the West African country presents “a difficult reality.”
“It is difficult to get used to pain. It is difficult to get used to the issues of death … to get familiar with death,” he said. “No one chooses to go into danger just because other people are suffering; it is not part of our nature. But in a situation where you seem not to have an alternative, the grace of God kicks in to strengthen you to face the particular situation.”
Sakaba said that since the 2020 attack at Good Shepherd Major Seminary, the institution has had an air of uncertainty. He said that some of the kidnappers who were arrested in the incident have been released, a situation he said has plunged the major seminary into “fear of the unknown.”
“It hasn’t been easy for us since the release,” Sabaka told ACI Africa. “The community was thrown into confusion because of the unknown. We don’t know what will happen next. We don’t know when they will come next or what they will do to us. We don’t know who will be taken next.”
Seminarians at St. Augustine Major Seminary in Jos, Plateau state, Nigeria, during a Marian procession. Credit: Father Peter Hassan
In the face of that, however, Sabaka said the resilience of the seminary community has been admirable. “God has been supporting, encouraging, and leading us. His grace assisted us to continue to practice our faith,” he said.
The jihadist attacks, which continue unabated in communities surrounding the seminary, do not make the situation easier.
Church at the Good Shepherd Major Seminary in Kaduna, Nigeria. Credit: Father Samuel Kanta Sakaba, rector of Good Shepherd Major Seminary in Kaduna
“Every attack that happens outside our community reminds us of our own 2020 experience. We are shocked, and although we remain deeply wounded, we believe that God has been leading us,” he said.
This story was first published by ACI Africa, CNA’s news partner in Africa, and has been adapted by CNA.
French President Emmanuel Macron talks to the press as he leaves after a European Council Informal Meeting at the Palacio de Congreso in Granada, southern Spain, on Oct. 6, 2023. / Credit: LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP via Getty Images
CNA Staff, Dec 9, 2020 / 08:00 am (CNA).- The Church in Belarus appealed for prayers Tuesday after police detained two Catholic priests.
Catholic.by, the website of the Catholic Church in Belarus, said Dec. 8 that police had seized Fr. Viktar Zhuk S.J… […]
16 Comments
With bishops like Kerry’s Ray Browne who needs Luther?
“Be a sinner and sin on bravely, but have stronger faith and rejoice in Christ, who is the victor of sin, death, and the world. Do not for a moment imagine that this life is the abiding place of justice: sin must be committed. Sin cannot tear you away from him, even though you commit adultery a hundred times a day and commit as many murders” (Enders, Briefwechsel III 208).
How ironic to read a modern Protestant, Harriet Beecher Stowe speak infinitely more in line with Christ, and Catholicism than Catholic Bishop Ray Browne:
“Christ died for sin and took its penalty upon himself as a necessary sacrifice, to the governmental view of the atonement that interpreted the death of Christ as an example of the seriousness of sin that inspires sinners to repent and live sacrificial lives for others” (Harriet Beecher Stowe in Stowe’s theological transition reformation 21).
With retired Catholic priests like Fr Sean Sheehy who needs Bishop Ray Browne?
A word on Harriet Beecher Stowe among her many books, Uncle Tom’s Cabin awakened a social humanist consciousness, a presumed catalyst for the Civil War and Proclamation of Emancipation. Biographers consider her feminist activist, the more staid Christian. Her Protestant attitude toward Catholicism reflected the anti Catholic Protestant mind [her father a minister referred the Church as that scarlet lady in Rome] of the day, although not quite as vitriolic, although markedly critical, exclaiming she would accomplish infinitely more for justice than nuns living like ‘potato sprouts’ in shaded convents. @Potato sprout nuns in shaded convents save souls drawing down graces for the spiritually needy. Love knows no barriers neither in time nor space. Or person. The complete lover of Christ knows this. Evident in the martyr of love living in her shaded convent, and the missionary martyr of love in the forests of Borneo.
Lol….Guess the bishop will cancel Jesus about the Bread of Life Discourse that offended those who ‘returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him.’
I think there is fault on both sides here. The bishop’s apology is cringe (to use what I think is the popular vernacular). The priest’s approach is a bit heavy-handed, let’s say. I understand that this was an Anniversary Mass, honouring the deceased, with many attendees those who normally make an appearance only at occasions such as weddings and funerals (i.e. the perfect occasion to present the church’s teachings in a way that might stimulate some honest and much-needed reflection).
(Shoutout to Phil Lawler at Catholic Culture).
As I pointed out on Twitter, everything the priest says in the clip that is making the rounds is found in the CCC, Scripture, etc. Was it appropriate? Well, where else, other than at church/Mass, are people going to hear about sin, God’s love (not the sappy, Oprah-type “love”), need for repentance, holiness, etc., etc.? The homily is the sort that I hear in my parish on a regular basis. If that was “heavy-handed,” then I’d hate to think what the teachings of Christ, Peter, Paul, and so many of the Saints would be called!
God Bless Father Sheehy. We need 1,000’s more like him. Very seldom, if ever, do we ever hear a priest call out sin in a homily anymore. So, what are the sheep to do if they’re allowed to run rampant?
Carl above – I’m not saying the priest said anything that’s not accurate. I just question the approach. (I’m not arguing for sappy sermons, which I hear way too many of).
I say bravo to this priest. The reason more priests do not speak on the topic of sin is because weak parishioners run away ( with their wallets) which upsets the Bishops. Too many bishops ( including the top one) have forgotten that humans need to have sin pointed out to them as prohibited.Its well and good to talk about mercy but without the subject of contemporary sin, it is a skewed perspective. Bishops who want a milquetoast sappy approach of “anything goes” will one day be held accountable by God. This priest who spoke up should wear his banning like a badge of honor. The parishioners who left the sermon should be ashamed. Those who liked hearing the sermon should contact the errant Bishop and make their feelings known.If the Bishop doesnt know the position of the church on these basic matters he should resign and apologize to the priest he suspended.
Obviously the bishop is “muzzling the truth in order to appease the people”. Fr. Z. has a commentary on the difference/chasm between the Old Mass and the New (now old) Mass on the Four Last Things. No doubt the good people of Kerry Diocese have been catechized by the “New” Mass these last sixty years. They need to be recatechized. The priest seems to realize this. I’m not sure the bishop does. How to move forward productively?
The clue here is that Bishop Ray Browne was born in 1957, i.e. he too was catechized by the New, now old, Mass (and the media). The priest was no doubt formed by the Old, now new, Mass. Another article in CWR on the fracture in theology looks forward to the arrival of millennial generation bishops. Can’t come soon enough.
He explains the Gospel truth in more detail on the John Henry W show. Pray for the lost Leo. Ireland will one day return to being a Holy Land. The Irish are too trusting, till they get pushed to truth, then the gloves are off.
Catholic Unscripted episode 8 just dealt with the Irish incident. I think Gavin Ashenden goes a long way to explaining how Bishop Browne has gotten himself so confused.
With bishops like Kerry’s Ray Browne who needs Luther?
“Be a sinner and sin on bravely, but have stronger faith and rejoice in Christ, who is the victor of sin, death, and the world. Do not for a moment imagine that this life is the abiding place of justice: sin must be committed. Sin cannot tear you away from him, even though you commit adultery a hundred times a day and commit as many murders” (Enders, Briefwechsel III 208).
How ironic to read a modern Protestant, Harriet Beecher Stowe speak infinitely more in line with Christ, and Catholicism than Catholic Bishop Ray Browne:
“Christ died for sin and took its penalty upon himself as a necessary sacrifice, to the governmental view of the atonement that interpreted the death of Christ as an example of the seriousness of sin that inspires sinners to repent and live sacrificial lives for others” (Harriet Beecher Stowe in Stowe’s theological transition reformation 21).
With retired Catholic priests like Fr Sean Sheehy who needs Bishop Ray Browne?
A word on Harriet Beecher Stowe among her many books, Uncle Tom’s Cabin awakened a social humanist consciousness, a presumed catalyst for the Civil War and Proclamation of Emancipation. Biographers consider her feminist activist, the more staid Christian. Her Protestant attitude toward Catholicism reflected the anti Catholic Protestant mind [her father a minister referred the Church as that scarlet lady in Rome] of the day, although not quite as vitriolic, although markedly critical, exclaiming she would accomplish infinitely more for justice than nuns living like ‘potato sprouts’ in shaded convents. @Potato sprout nuns in shaded convents save souls drawing down graces for the spiritually needy. Love knows no barriers neither in time nor space. Or person. The complete lover of Christ knows this. Evident in the martyr of love living in her shaded convent, and the missionary martyr of love in the forests of Borneo.
Lol….Guess the bishop will cancel Jesus about the Bread of Life Discourse that offended those who ‘returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him.’
“The views expressed do not represent the christian position.”
Wrong
(BTW – Want a good example of why so many people have left the Church in Ireland?)
I think there is fault on both sides here. The bishop’s apology is cringe (to use what I think is the popular vernacular). The priest’s approach is a bit heavy-handed, let’s say. I understand that this was an Anniversary Mass, honouring the deceased, with many attendees those who normally make an appearance only at occasions such as weddings and funerals (i.e. the perfect occasion to present the church’s teachings in a way that might stimulate some honest and much-needed reflection).
(Shoutout to Phil Lawler at Catholic Culture).
As I pointed out on Twitter, everything the priest says in the clip that is making the rounds is found in the CCC, Scripture, etc. Was it appropriate? Well, where else, other than at church/Mass, are people going to hear about sin, God’s love (not the sappy, Oprah-type “love”), need for repentance, holiness, etc., etc.? The homily is the sort that I hear in my parish on a regular basis. If that was “heavy-handed,” then I’d hate to think what the teachings of Christ, Peter, Paul, and so many of the Saints would be called!
Indeed, truth is heavy-handed. Also, thick-lipped and plain spoken, with garlicky breath and hairy ears, and a wart above its upper lip.
And no amount of obsequious rationalizing by a highly coiffed, perfumed, liposuctioned bishop will make truth any easier to accept.
You’d think a bishop would know that.
God Bless Father Sheehy. We need 1,000’s more like him. Very seldom, if ever, do we ever hear a priest call out sin in a homily anymore. So, what are the sheep to do if they’re allowed to run rampant?
I’m reminded of this, attributed to St. Athanasius: “The floor of Hell is paved with the skulls of bishops.”
Carl above – I’m not saying the priest said anything that’s not accurate. I just question the approach. (I’m not arguing for sappy sermons, which I hear way too many of).
I say bravo to this priest. The reason more priests do not speak on the topic of sin is because weak parishioners run away ( with their wallets) which upsets the Bishops. Too many bishops ( including the top one) have forgotten that humans need to have sin pointed out to them as prohibited.Its well and good to talk about mercy but without the subject of contemporary sin, it is a skewed perspective. Bishops who want a milquetoast sappy approach of “anything goes” will one day be held accountable by God. This priest who spoke up should wear his banning like a badge of honor. The parishioners who left the sermon should be ashamed. Those who liked hearing the sermon should contact the errant Bishop and make their feelings known.If the Bishop doesnt know the position of the church on these basic matters he should resign and apologize to the priest he suspended.
Obviously the bishop is “muzzling the truth in order to appease the people”. Fr. Z. has a commentary on the difference/chasm between the Old Mass and the New (now old) Mass on the Four Last Things. No doubt the good people of Kerry Diocese have been catechized by the “New” Mass these last sixty years. They need to be recatechized. The priest seems to realize this. I’m not sure the bishop does. How to move forward productively?
The clue here is that Bishop Ray Browne was born in 1957, i.e. he too was catechized by the New, now old, Mass (and the media). The priest was no doubt formed by the Old, now new, Mass. Another article in CWR on the fracture in theology looks forward to the arrival of millennial generation bishops. Can’t come soon enough.
Wonderful Priest. I listened to his interview on Kerry radio. Couldn’t fault what he said.
He explains the Gospel truth in more detail on the John Henry W show. Pray for the lost Leo. Ireland will one day return to being a Holy Land. The Irish are too trusting, till they get pushed to truth, then the gloves are off.
Catholic Unscripted episode 8 just dealt with the Irish incident. I think Gavin Ashenden goes a long way to explaining how Bishop Browne has gotten himself so confused.