Belfast Telegraph – by Brett Campbell
A Catholic priest who ministers in Co Fermanagh has called for the Church to accept that it has “lost Christmas” and abandon the word altogether.
Father Desmond O’Donnell, who has a congregation in Cleenish Parish near Enniskillen, has urged Christians, no matter the denomination, to accept that the term ‘Christmas’ had been shorn of any sacred meaning.
“We’ve lost Christmas, just like we lost Easter, and should abandon the word completely,” he argued.
“We need to let it go, it’s already been hijacked and we just need to recognise and accept that.”
Fr O’Donnell, who worked in Australia for 28 years, insisted he was not a Scrooge, and did not wish to deny non-believers their festive celebrations.
“I am not seeking to take anything away from anyone, I am simply asking that space be preserved for believers for whom Christmas has nothing to do with Santa and Reindeer,” he added.
“My religious experience of true Christmas, like so many others, is very deep and real – like the air I breathe.
“But non-believers deserve and need their celebration too, it’s an essential human dynamic and we all need that in the toughness of life.”
A biblical scholar and psychologist, he even quoted from the Psalms to argue that a little bit of wine makes the heart rejoice.
“I’m all for Christians choosing to celebrate Christmas by going out for meals and enjoying a glass of wine, but the commercialisation of anything is never good,” he said.
“I’m just trying to rescue the reality of Christmas for believers by giving up ‘Christmas’ and replacing it with another word.”
The clergyman, whose latest book To Love And To Be Loved was published in September, admitted that he wasn’t hopeful about the sacred institution being willing to change, but warned that its refusal to do so will have consequences.
“It will mean that secularisation and modern life will continue to launder the Church,” he said.
“It will start to institutionally break down, I’ve already seen it happening around the world in Malta, Poland and Uruguay, and it’s starting to happen in Ireland.
“It’s like watching the same movie over and over again – the Protestant Churches are battling too.”
The Oblate priest, who is based in Dublin, added: “For many people God is just a word representing someone to blame in their calamity or a crutch to lean on in a time of distress, and the reality is that ‘Christmas’ no longer means Christmas.”
Why don’t you tackle your pedaphilia problems first before you eliminate one of the most sacred days of the year. Your a goddamn discrace to your religion.
Well, Mark, maybe in the US Christmas still has meaning, but maybe it doesn’t in Ireland, a bastion of Celtic paganism, still, after all these years. Possibly, in Ireland or Ulster, folks care more about the pagan ritual of “holly” (a Satanic symbol…aka Hollywood) or “yuletide” (the yule log pagan ritual and Christmas tree ritual, all of which are pagan and Celtic). And do you really think, what with all the false gods like Tammuz, Horus, Osiris, Mithras and I am sure others, born on December 25, that Christ as also? More likely He was conceived on that day and actually born in late September or October, in 2004 B C (the time of harvest, no? It’s in the Bible).
So, maybe he is NOT a disgrace to his religion.
So what does he want to name it? Wal-Mart day? Where a northern star led people to low low prices? The pope is a shill. A new world order douche that plays like he follows God’s words.
The Catholic church has been taken over by perverts and Soros boot lickers anyway.
No, maybe he just wants all believers to keep CHRIST in CHRISTMAS! To “hell” with Wal-Mart!
Maybe we should ban priest . Their house needs to be cleaned from all the kids they hurt
“I am not seeking to take anything away from anyone, I am simply asking that space be preserved for believers for whom Christmas has nothing to do with Santa and Reindeer,”
“But non-believers deserve and need their celebration too, it’s an essential human dynamic and we all need that in the toughness of life.”
Well gee….you’re not much of a minister if you’re just saying, “F**k it! Believe what you want to believe and Christmas doesn’t mean crap.”
I’m thinking you’re maybe in the wrong line of work.
Are you even trying to spread the word? Maybe ministry life isn’t for you. Just sayin’.
If Jesus were here, he’d kick him out of the church and call him a false prophet and non-believer, amongst other things.
“We’ve lost Christmas, just like we lost Easter, and should abandon the word completely,” he argued.”
Catholic church?
You can’t lose something you never had to begin with, and you can’t abandon something you never adhered to in the first place. You’ve ALWAYS been a Satanic institution… from the beginning…
https://youtu.be/GNZ-sOzXWEk?t=20
I found this article to be very layered with programming woven throughout. Beyond defaming what billions consider a holy day, this is more shredding of culture, tradition, family bonding. The “priest’s” words drip with pretense and contradiction. And he encourages people to go out to eat, in other words, forget about home, and home-cooking, and bonding with loved-ones.
I guard Christmas and regard it as a personal sacred rite. I am highly susceptible to its message and what it does to many of us once a year when hearts seem more open and generosity flows. I know the intended corruption of materialism exists, but the kindness, fully encouraged by Christ can always transcend that debauchery. I say, save Christmas. The beauty, the magic (I mean as seen through a child’s eyes), the sharing, the love.
The priest doesn’t know who or what he serves and is towing the line for the global agenda to take our humanity and make us robots. All religions or non-religions deserve the right to honor their heritage and customs should they so choose. The priest is killing that. Poor guy. Must be hard following orders and living without a spine.
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