Friday, January 15, 2010

Haiti....The Bishops Put It Into Perspective

With the race already underway to make the most idiotic comments about the the awful earthquake in Haiti, the Spanish Church could not be left behind. The bishop of San Sebastian, José Ignacio Munilla, has hit the headlines today for remarking that bad though the earthquake is, it's not as serious as the spiritual situation of the Spanish people! Obviously it's not easy for a bishop to explain anyway why God has suddenly decided so many Haitians must die. He now claims that he was misinterpreted as he was talking from a theological point of view, so that's alright then.

The recently appointed Munilla has already had his share of controversy, as the decision to give him the job is widely regarded as having been a move by the Spanish church to impose central control over their Basque followers. Munilla is from the more ultra wing of an already hardly moderate institution, and many Catholics in the Basque Country have opposed his appointment. He is on the other hand very popular amongst right wing Catholics in Madrid who see him as someone who will crack down on any signs of Basque nationalism amongst the clergy. Given the attention he has already captured he might need to spend a period in silent contemplation.


8 comments:

Justin Roberts said...

Good thing Spain hasn't made a pact with the devil, because where would we be then?!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5nraknWoes

CoMa said...

now as always, he says that his words were missunderstood. The Church iss just a pain in ...

Troy said...

It's funny how you can couch such obvious insanity in 'theological' terms. As though that somehow absolves them from the madness.

It's like a certain group of people who claim to have the deed to some land in the Middle East that was given to them by a man who lives in the sky. Such madness is OK if taken in 'theological' terms. Maybe the okupas in Madrid should have tried that argument?

Valencia Property said...

"That would be an ecumenical matter" said in Father Jack voice

Graeme said...

Very wise and insightful Father Jack. Another drink?

ejh said...

A pedant writes: surely it wasn't Father Jack who used the phrase?

Graeme said...

I think you'll find it was used by him. He was encouraged to use it whenever one of the bishops spoke to him. I have the episode somewhere on ye olde videoe formatte so I can check if it becomes really necessary.

Graeme said...

Sorry, I should apologise for even suggesting that we check the video, so very un Web 2.0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TQuacxEjAU