28 April 2019

Lips

At the funeral of Lyra McPhee, the camera revealed to us what the occupants of the front rows were doing during the singing of the evangelical hymn How Great Thou Art, composed, I gather, by a Methodist proselytiser whose life's work was to convert Ukrainians and Poles.

Mrs Arlene Forster, DUP, was singing lustily.

President Michael Higgins was joining in but wihout, er, going over the top.

Mrs May was doing things the Anglican way ... her lips moving strongly.

Mr Leo Varadkar, the Abortionist, kept his lips firmly closed.

Had this been in the time of Mr DeValera ... or even of Mr Ahern? ... one might have assumed that a card-carrying Catholic was not allowed by his conscience to associate himself formally with Protestant worship ...

7 comments:

Tom said...

In De Valera's time no. In 1949 he did not attend the state funeral for former Uachtaráin (President) Dubhghlas de hÍde's funeral but sent a CoI cabinet member instead. By Bertie's time things had changed and he would not have excluded himself from attending a funeral. Not attending a funeral in Ireland is a major issue. It is practically an unforgiveable sin and I have come across resentment among the older generation (in the South) that they were once prohibited from attending the funerals of Protestant neighbours and friends. Whatever the Church's reasoning (and it was probably not explained to them) the hurt ran deep.

I met Varadkar once. Pleasant on the surface but he has since revealed something of his true colours. I have heard that he gave Simon Harris Health on condition that he bring in abortion and 'pro-life' Harris gladly rolled over. Very few of our political leaders have clean hands today. Even the British Monarch signed abortion into law and therefore sinned against her own subjects.

Paulusmaximus said...

I would have absolutely no doubt that our Taoiseach's refusal to sing along was prompted by his Catholic sensitivities.

Confitebor said...

Perhaps it's just that the hymn is in praise of a deity not worshipped by Mr. Varadkar's paternal ancestors?

Tony V said...

You must remember that Catholics, presumably even homosexual ones, don't sing. With the sole exception of the cantor, who (if I remember the GIRM correctly) is instructed to bellow into the lectern microphone and lustily wave the arms.

Jhayes said...

Wikipedia explains Hine's involvement

"How Great Thou Art" is a Christian hymn based on a Swedish traditional melody and a poem written by Carl Boberg (1859–1940) in Mönsterås, Sweden in 1885. It was translated into German and then into Russian. It was translated into English from the Russian by English missionary Stuart K. Hine, who also added two original verses of his own."

And

"It was voted the United Kingdom's favourite hymn by BBC's Songs of Praise"

Jim Bowman said...

One would have known it was not allowed. Such ecumenism was an absolute no-go.

Therese said...

I disapprove of Mr Varadker because of abortion;I campaigned against it. However he is not the only one with dirty hands. The British Government has tolerated an abortion regime without much protest since it was introduced. Mrs May is presiding over a government that currently accepts it. The Queen of Great Britain signed in the bill. The only one without dirty hands is Arlene Foster who is against abortion. Long may she remain so! I am writing this as a Catholic from the republic of Ireland