the heelers diaries in america

SERMONS AND SERMONISERS

Ireland's greatest living poet is propping up a pew in Saint John the Evangelist Church in Boston USA.
On the podium, a Padre called Brian O'Hehir is droning sermoniferously on about something.
Father O'Hehir is supposedly quite well respected in liberal left wing circles.
Yawn.
Heelers is drowsing.
The lovely light of New England drenches the wooden church.
The world is far away.
After a few minutes my reverie is disturbed by a slight change in pitch from the speaker's voice.
He's upped it a notch.
Before I can get comfortable again, I hear the priest speak these words: "John Paul was an actor. If you think I'm wrong just ask the Russian Communists. He was an actor. That's what he was. Admittedly a great actor. But an actor. And Benedict. Well Benedict, whatever else you say about him, was no manager."
The noble Heelers perks up.
I interpret these remarks as subtle criticisms of previous Popes for whom I have a certain fondness.
(Every Irishman carries in his breast pocket the mitre of the Pope in Rome. - Ed note)
My curiosity is tweaked.
"The resignation of a Pope is no big deal," continues Father O'Hehir. "It's happened before. Bear in mind that people are living longer. And being head of the Catholic Church makes being head of Citibank look like managing a corner store. Benedict was a great Pope in many ways. But he was no manager. And this is a job for a younger man."
He now has my rapt attention.
Because it seems to me that he is reacting to a criticism re Benedict's resignation that no one has made.
It seems to me he is trying to head off any public perception that a coterie of leftists in the Curia had forced Benedict to resign.
No ouster here.
Move along now folks.
"Maybe after all these thousands of years," says Father O'Hehir, "what the Catholic Church needs is a few MBA's at its head intsead of more guys with degrees in Theology."
I smile thinly.
So that's it.
The letters MBA indicate in this instance a person who has obtained a university qualification in Masters of Business Administration.
So Father O'Hehir thinks we need more people with MBA's running the Vatican.
You can understand his point of view.
After all they've done such  marvellous jobs running the banks and our countries into near absolute perdition.