Welcome Downunder Ray!

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Raymond Leo Burke (born June 30, 1948) is an American Cardinal[1] of the Holy Roman Church.[2] He is the current Cardinal Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, having previously served as Archbishop of St. Louis (2003–2008) and Bishop of La Crosse (1994–2003).


And thus begins the  bio of Ray Burke on Wikipedia. The dress conscious cleric is gracing our weather beaten shores for a flying visit to deliver a speech The Fall of the Christian West


 I wasn't aware of any fall. more like a sinking under the weight of the cover up of sexual abuse, the personality cult of the Papacy in recent times, the extravagant lifestyle of senior clerics, the dismantaling of Vatican 11 and some such as The Legionnaires of Christ and the Society of St Gerard Majella.


As well as the speech Ray Cardinal also made a cameo appearance at St Brigid's Church Marrickville to perform one of those all male dress up Extraordinary Rites. You can see some cool piccies here , including the one of Ray wearing the Cappa Magna which is like a built in red carpet for higher clergy.


Now, what  you may notice is that the parish bulletin for this week made no mention of Ray Cardinal's Extraordinary appearance in the Parish Church!! They didn't even give him a "Welcome Ray" message. I wonder if Ray looked up the web site prior to his visit so he could include a few local references in his homily?  


According to the official site of the Archdiocese of Sydney, "Before returning to Rome Cardinal Burke is hopeful of seeing a little more of Sydney. He has already been on a "walking tour" of Hyde Park and the CBD area." Oh dear, I do hope he didn't walk into any of Sydney's Famous Gay Beats in his day wear.

Comments

Anonymous said…
You really have to laugh out loud as I did on seeing this picture of +Ray. He looks so miserable sittinfg there in Green vestments that must have taken a full hour to put on. He would not be out of place in a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta. To look so sad and down is just not on Ray. Please smile, look like the Resurrection has occured and that 2000 years later after Christ walked the land of Palestine, you too can walk around Sydney and enjoy the city.
But I think this so funny. The newly created 'young' cardinal loves to dress up and so many of those who admire him, are happy to dress up as well.

A little final note. The cardinal really does look like a twin of +Peter Elliott. Absolutely look-alikes and definitely Elliott love to dress up as well with all the lace and stuff. His seminary classmates will know he has always liked to do this and show that he is part of the colourful and traditional Church, pre-1963.

Ciao. Paul
3:37 AM
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