News

Visiting priest blames flu, earthquake on abortion law

BY GRAHAM DOWNIERELIGION REPORTER

30 Apr, 2009 02:25 PM

Swine flu and Mexico's recent earthquake had been the judgment of God for that country's abortion laws, a visiting US priest told members of Canberra's St Christopher's Parish on Tuesday.

Father Wade Menezes, recommended to the parish by the Archbishop of Canberra and Goulburn Mark Coleridge, is conducting a mission for the parish each evening until tonight at St Peter Chanel's Church, Yarralumla.

Though the exact words used by Father Menezes cannot be quoted, it is reliably understood they had a similar meaning to those by Victoria's Catch the Fire Ministries' leader Danny Nalliah, who said Victoria's devastating February bushfires were the consequences of the state's abortion laws.

Reaction to Father Menezes' comments in today's Canberra Times

comments

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Why single out the abortion laws? Perhaps Fr, Menenez might meditate on God's view of paedophile and lecherous priests, of which I'm sure, Mexico has its share. If Fr M wants to view God as a thunderbolt-hurling vengeful entity, I would have expected him, (Fr M), to acknowledge that a few thunderbolts might have been triggered by morally wanton priests. I seem to recall something about "Let him who is without sin, cast the first stone".

Posted by Amalia, 30/04/2009 7:44:27 AM

I would love to see Father Menezes (and conservative Christianity in general) practise compassion and helping instead of blame and self-righteousness.

Posted by Monk, 30/04/2009 8:11:06 AM

I would have thought that determining Fr Menezes' exact words would be an essential prerequisite before publishing any story relating to him. This is poor and sensationalist reporting by desperate lefties looking for a story to embarrass Archbishop Coleridge.

Posted by Michael Bernard, 30/04/2009 9:06:33 AM

He must serve a very judgemental, petty, hateful, merciless, brutal and cruel God; Is that he looking in the mirror at God's image?

Posted by TJ Lawson, 30/04/2009 9:11:30 AM

In the words of Tim Minchin "...And if anyone can show me just one example in the history of the world of a single Spiritual or religious person who has been able to prove either logically or empirically the existence of a higher power that has any consciousness or interest in the human race or ability to punish or reward humans for there moral choices or that there is any reason - other than fear - to believe in any version of an afterlife I’ll give you my piano, one of my legs, and my wife"

Posted by long memory, 30/04/2009 9:49:20 AM

Your kidding me? I have just had to pick myself up off the floor!

Posted by KB, 30/04/2009 10:57:07 AM

Michael Bernard, I'm sure this story wasn't intended to embarrass Archbishop Coleridge. He can't be held responsible for off the cuff remarks by loonies from left or right, or for the faulty theology that underlies them. I think it's likely that this priest did say exactly what he's reported to have said - he's the one who should be embarrassed! If he didn't say it, let him come out and say so clearly.

Posted by Joan Seymour, 30/04/2009 11:14:20 AM

What a nut case!

Posted by jayell, 30/04/2009 12:30:26 PM

The breathless Mr Down and the previous commenters seem to think there's something novel about the idea that sickness and death are the result of men's sins. This is bog-standard Judeo-Christian orthodoxy for the last 4000 years. And amazing how some just can't help themsleves everytime a Christian dares to say something in public, to post their puerile non-arguments against God/religion, or false assertions about pedophilia (in fact far more common outside the Church than in it).

Posted by Ronk, 30/04/2009 12:47:00 PM

What the................??? He was supposed to have said what??????? Ah, religion, the basis of all wars! The very reason I don't believe in God. Add him to the list for retrospective abortions!

Posted by what's up, 30/04/2009 1:11:12 PM

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