Catholic and loving it – James Preece on 1.7.2010
www.lovingit.co.uk
Listening on the Radio yesterday to Jack Valero speaking about the Birmingham Three, I couldn't help thinking that the more he spoke, the less sense it all made.
Jack's narrative in all this is that it's not a big deal. It's a minor, tiny, small internal matter that we wouldn't even have heard of if it were not for the beatification.
"of course you can make it big" he says.
Sending somebody away for a few days: Not big. Sending somebody away for seven weeks is getting bigger. If these guys are away until the beatification it will have been months which is bigger still.
It's not me that's making this big. The longer it goes on, the bigger it gets.
Want to make it small? Bring them home.
Jack said they had been "asked to go away and pray for a while". Well it's been a while now so bring them home.
Jack said "they are away now, they will come back". This is excellent news! It's also the first time anybody from the Oratory has confirmed that the three will be coming home. Why not bring them home now?
Jack said "We are working together, so there's no falling out and there's no casting away it's just a time away to cool down" but surely seven weeks is more than enough time to cool down so bring them home.
Jack said "they can come back soon and we can continue as normal". Soon... That's a good word. How about now?
Jack said "there's no indication they've done something wrong, they've been punished or anything. these words are wrong they give the wrong impression". If they haven't done anything wrong, why can't they come back?
It is ludicrous to claim that the three have done nothing wrong, are not being punished and there is "no falling out" and then to say that they must be away any longer.
This is getting bigger, but that can stop right now by bringing these men home.
