Re: The Papal Apology BlueDreams Sun Mar 12 00:59:14 2000 *br*Amen and amen again sister, we are ALL in this together. Blue*br*Deborah wrote,*br*: Hi Fellow Summerlanders,*br*:*br*: If you've been following the threads in this section lately, *br*: you've read about the recent Papal apology and the Pope's *br*: call for a day of Prayer, Atonement and Reconcillation.*br*:*br*: You might also be wondering what all this has to do with us *br*: and why it's being touted on a Pagan Message Board in a *br*: Pagan Community. Isn't this a Christian interest story? *br*:*br*: The answer is yes and the reasons are as follows:*br*:*br*: First, it's up on our boards because I asked Beirdd to *br*: research it and put it up on our boards. As a former *br*: Catholic Priest, I felt he had an insight into the whole *br*: situation that would serve us very well in understanding the *br*: intricacies of the mind of the Pope and the ways of the *br*: Catholic Church.*br*:*br*: Second, althought it is a Christian situation, it's what I *br*: can only call "A Damned Fine Idea!" and "One *br*: that we should consider aiding and even... dare I say it... *br*: copying". My thoughts on this are pretty much as *br*: follows.*br*:*br*: On Sunday, March 12, 2000 (tomorrow), there will be many *br*: people praying for forgiveness, peace, atonement and *br*: reconcillation. I will be one of them. Not that I am *br*: Catholic, but because I know that there have been times when *br*: I have been less than loving, have done things that were not *br*: 'of my higest possibility' and 'have fallen way short of the *br*: grace and glory of any of the gods'. I doubt seriously if I *br*: am the only one around here who can say that either.*br*:*br*: Secondly, I think that yes, the Catholic church has a whole *br*: lot to answer for throughout its history, but so do our own *br*: religions and people. And I see the Catholic church *br*: stepping up to the plate and finally taking responsibility *br*: for some of its more infamous actions as an excellent *br*: beginning to a change of its heart and its practices in the *br*: future. I'm a strong believer in the power of personal *br*: responsibility and I salute them for that and think that we, *br*: as a Pagan Religion, should follow this most excellent lead *br*: and take this opportunity to start a new millenium with a *br*: clean slate and a forgiving heart.*br*:*br*: So, what say ye brother and sister Celts and Pagans... shall *br*: we forgive and forget and start working together to make *br*: this world of ours a place where we can all stay and play *br*: happily with one another?*br*:*br*: Deborah O'Dubhain*br* The Papal Apology Deborah 129 Sun Mar 12 00:55:27 2000