Last week I marvelled at this blog by Collette BP

https://catholicsouthwark.wordpress.com/2016/05/20/from-the-desire-to-be-retweeted/

And I have been speaking about it ever since.

Yesterday I telephoned a coach company regarding a booking and was told I would receive a call back in half an hour.  Four hours later I called back to be told the message had not got through as the chap I first spoke to was “an idiot”.

Later, on Twitter Niall Gooch referred to an MP’s wife showing a member of his staff in a negative light, which Niall found inappropriate,  and these two things made me think more about Collette’s blog.

Last week when I saw people, again on Twitter, questioning the prudence of the bishops commenting on the EU vote, I asked if the bishops should or should not do so.  I was leaning towards them doing so, others disagreed.  I was later told some clergy had said commenting was not their place.

I decided not to use the coach firm, they didn’t look good if their infighting spilt into the street, as twer.  The MP’s wife Niall referred to made his team look bad and we clergy do the same when we take to social media to berate each other.  I have been that soldier and have been made aware that if our friends agree with us on social media, where it’s open to the big wide wonderweb we are judged, and if we react, was are also judged.

The MP’s wife was at fault also.  If I were to write in a negative fashion about my wife’s boss, or her staff, it would reflect on her  badly as would negativity towards my close friends bosses or staff, or a generic bad comment on the  company for which they work.

Nic Doye made the same points about Catholic infighting four years ago.  Things have not changed and I doubt they will, there will always be those whose own agenda is held by them to be more important than Gospel values or introducing people to the person of Jesus Christ.  When it’s a member of the congregation it’s bad enough, but when it’s a member of the clergy, it’s seen as scandalous.  If you catch me doing it, shoot me down.

 

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