Cardinal Law told Mary McAleese he was ‘sorry for Catholic Ireland to have you as President’

In the above photo of former Irish President Mary McAleese, she definitely resembles actress Jean Murray Stapleton 'Edith" Archie Bunker's wife in "All in the Family"--who is more like McAleese in real-life than the submissive character in the TV series. Just sayin'...Looking forward to Samain! : )

Jetsnoone -- Your research lets you down badly, but that's not surprising. Mary McAleese is personally against abortion and has always taken that position. But she is liberal on other matters, and she represents all Irish people, not just Catholics. Obviously you understand nothing at all about Irish politics.

So, Mary thinks we should have women priests?....Her opinion would have some clout if she were pro-life but me-thinks we're dealing with a big time liberal here who is for abortion.

Mairint -- Did you not know that women are allowed to study theology these days, without being whipped? It's true - women can study complete nonsense just like men.

Who's this Cardinal causing all the fuss? Is this the same guy that was back in Boston when the scandal broke? I thought his name was Cardinal Lawless. I'm almost sure that was his name because the Boston Cardinal certainly didn't no a damn thing about civil laws in MA and USA. Yeah, I'm sure his name was Lawless, because that's certainly how he conducted himself.

Jeez! Coitus interruptus? My post was aborted 'mid term'! I was just about to add that church leaders should be hung by their own entrails, when my message disappeared. No doubt I'll have a queue of pilgrims outside of my house tomorow morning, declaring it a 'miracle' (;o)

I am an Irish citizen living in Liverpool, UK. The Upper House (Lords)actually has bishops sitting amongst the legislators. You can tell the Bishops' car park: they have the best cars! I am always bemused at this mixture of Church and State in the Upper Chamber? And,that when matter a of Church and State needs a decision, the Church inevitably backs the State. Rien ca change! The recent 'sit ins' around St Paul's Cathedral demonstrated that loyalty of the Church to its paymasters. The conundrum inthe Republic, is that the Church seem to do it by choice

So when is Mary McAleese going to process down the aisle garbed as a 'woman priest'? Studying Theology in Rome? So if she does not end up masquerading as a priest will she seek to lecture softened minds on how the Church should be run? Lord save us from those who try to change Your establishment to fulfill their feminist ambitions.

How did our head of state end up being lectured by any cleric, whether Catholic, Jewish or Muslim? Surely somebody should be sacked for allowing that to happen?

It's not just the Irish Church. Here in the USA years ago the Roman Church and the Mormons were at opposite polls about almost everything. Now the only real difference between the two are their underwear and their rituals! How sad!!

However wrong or misguided the cardinal might have been, does not alter the truth of his statement regarding this "president" of Ireland. The lady needs to shut up when it comes to anything theological or anti-life. I am sick of what Ireland has become...it is like a crappy caricature in a circus sideshow.

@RichardP, I agree that Cardinal Law is on very shaky ground, when it comes to lecturing others. My point is that the subject under discussion i.e permissibility of women to male holy orders, should be judged precisely on it's own theological merits and should not be lumped in with the sex abuse scandals, in order to denigrate the honest positions adopted by those who agree with Church teachings.

eiriamach: Perfectly stated. I couldn't agree more.

What a difference 50 years can make in the arrogance of some "conservatives." When the Senator John F. Kennedy was running for president - the second Roman Catholic to gain his party's nomination to the office and the first with a realistic chance to win, the church was falling all over itself to assure those of other faiths that while it provided moral leadership, it did not coerce its followers into actions which were contrary to the interests of those who did not follow all its specific teachings - that it would not "call the shots" for ANY Catholic office holder. Now that it is not unusual for U.S. voters to place their confidence in those of the "true faith," SOME of it's less scrupulous leaders don't feel the pronouncements of their more ecumenical fore-bearers are worth honoring. In the long run they are so very wrong - and hurt both the spirit of responsible secular government and worse, the church itself. Fortunately, both most American Catholics and Irish voters have shown the ability to follow rational church teachings and to think for themselves.

It's just more degenerate male muscle flexing against female intelligence and dignity. It's what the central administration in Rome means by "renewal." Cardinal Law dealt with McAleese as though she were an American nun on the bus. But as the American nuns know, when Paul VI concluded that the Church "does not consider herself authorized to admit women to priestly ordination," he undermined his own "authorization" by silencing discussion on the issue. Being bullied by these Catholic boys whose sexual development was stunted in adolescence can be infuriating if we forget that no mere human being can exercise authority over the conscience that follows Christ.