Primate of Belgium attacked by feminist group

[R_C]

Tuesday, April 23. Scantily clad activists of feminist group Femen invaded a conference at a university in Brussels and threw water on the Archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels, Andre-Joseph Leonard, a known conservative.

The archbishop remained quietly seated, his hands crossed apparently in prayer.

At the end of the demonstration, the archbishop kissed a picture of the Virgin Mary to leave the room.



(News link)

This is not the first time Archbishop Leonard finds himself under such circumstances. In 2010 he was struck in the face with a small cake just before delivering the homily during Holy Mass, and in 2011 he was struck four times with cakes before and during a conference. He remained very serene throughout all these odd attacks.

 

[_Abyssinia]

The four protesters leapt out of their seats at a debate on blasphemy and freedom of expression held at the Brussels’ Free University (ULB) campus Tuesday evening, baring their breasts and squirting water at Archbishop Andre Leonard as they accused him of homophobia.

In March he said homosexuals should practise “a form of celibacy and abstinence” and welcomed protests in France against its gay marriage legislation.

globalpost.com/dispatch/news/afp/130424/topless-feminists-upset-belgian-church-not-the-bishop

The women used water bottles made for blessed holy water, shaped like Catholic statues of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The picture to the left shows Archbishop Leonard picking up and kissing one of the bottles following the disruption.

http://cdn.nomblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Archbishop-Andre-Leonard-2.jpg

nomblog.com/34737

 

[Francoist]

He looks like a good bishop. Good bishops get humiliated, shot, stabbed, burned and fed to lions. The world hates good bishops. If these persons hate this bishop, then it is a testimony to his goodness.

 

[GaryTaylor]

He looks like a good bishop. Good bishops get humiliated, shot, stabbed, burned and fed to lions. The world hates good bishops. If these persons hate this bishop, then it is a testimony to his goodness.

 

[Allegra]

He had cakes thrown at him twice? Why cakes?

 

[Polycarp1]

Tuesday, April 23. Scantily clad activists of feminist group Femen invaded a conference at a university in Brussels and threw water on the Archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels, Andre-Joseph Leonard, a known conservative.

The archbishop remained quietly seated, his hands crossed apparently in prayer.

At the end of the demonstration, the archbishop kissed a picture of the Virgin Mary to leave the room.

John 15:

18 If the world hates you, you must realise that it hated me before it hated you.
19 If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you do not belong to the world, because my choice of you has drawn you out of the world, that is why the world hates you.

 

[R_C]

He had cakes thrown at him twice? Why cakes?

Why do you ask me? Thank God it was soft cakes

There’s videos about it, I just preferred not to post them. In both occasions he remained very serene, and once (outside of a building) he was even smiling…the man has a sense of humor, God bless him

 

[Lucky7]

Thank you, good bishop.

 

[Allegra]

Why do you ask me? Thank God it was soft cakes

There’s videos about it, I just preferred not to post them. In both occasions he remained very serene, and once (outside of a building) he was even smiling…the man has a sense of humor, God bless him

I didn’t know if cakes were symbolic of something. I’m glad that he wasn’t hurt. I expect he was smiling because he realized that we’re supposed to be persecuted for the sake of Christ. Hopefully the cakes were at least a good flavor.

 

[EmperorNapoleon]

He had cakes thrown at him twice? Why cakes?

He fell victim to several pie attacks in response to his published assertion that AIDS is an “intrinsic justice” for homosexuals. He also lost his spokesman because of that remark. He also got pied in response to his assertion that priests who sexually abused children should not be prosecuted.

 

[Lucky7]

I didn’t know if cakes were symbolic of something. I’m glad that he wasn’t hurt. I expect he was smiling because he realized that we’re supposed to be persecuted for the sake of Christ. Hopefully the cakes were at least a good flavor.

Maybe they were fruitcakes?

And that was a joke, in case anyone was questioning it.

 

[7armyrugrats]

This is so much worse than I thought it was going to be when I clicked on this thread. That poor bishop truly is a peaceful soul and unfortunately I’m not surprised at how he was treated.

That being said, my ignorant self honestly believed that I was going to read a story about a monkey, gorilla, chimpanzee, or some other type of primate. I was wondering why on earth the feminists were against apes! It makes more sense, unfortunately, with THIS definition of the word. Stupid, stupid me…

 

[R_C]

He fell victim to several pie attacks in response to his published assertion that AIDS is an “intrinsic justice” for homosexuals. He also lost his spokesman because of that remark. He also got pied in response to his assertion that priests who sexually abused children should not be prosecuted.

Well well, that’s quite not the way things went.

Regarding AIDS, he stated that he rejects the notion that considers it “a punishment from God,” instead stating that “this epidemic is sort of intrinsic justice, not at all a punishment.” Mind you, he was not even directly addressing homosexuals, nor referring to them in the least bit. He continued saying: “All I’m saying is that sometimes there are consequences linked to our actions”. It was a call to responsibility, and one that promotes chastity, abstinence, and condemns premarital sex or all sexual activity outside of marriage. He stated that “HIV carriers merit respect and must not suffer discrimination.”

When asked about his position on homosexuality, he replied: “The same as Freud: it is an imperfectly developed stage of human sexuality which contradicts its inner logic.”

Regards to the priests, your exposition is poorly worded and entirely erroneous.

Speaking at a parliamentary commission on child abuse, he said that “for too long the church thought only about itself and about its priests and now it is time to think about the victims of sexual abuse”. He announced that he would voluntarily donate to a “solidarity fund” to compensate victims of sexual abuse "not because we are obliged to do that, but because we want to show solidarity".

He stated that paedophile priests should be sent before justice; he added that - according to his personal point of view - retired priests (over 70 years old, that is) who committed sexual abuse should be made aware of what they did but spared removal from the priesthood.

Regardless, it is quite childish to hit someone on the face with a cake - unless we are in a circus, in which case we are free to make fools of ourselves. After all, such clownish behavior degrades he who performs it, not he who falls victim to it

 

[EmperorNapoleon]

Well well, that’s quite not the way things went. Regarding AIDS, he stated that he rejects the notion that considers it “a punishment from God,” instead stating that “this epidemic is sort of intrinsic justice, not at all a punishment.” Mind you, he was not even directly addressing homosexuals, nor referring to them in the least bit. He continued saying: “All I’m saying is that sometimes there are consequences linked to our actions”. It was a call to responsibility, and one that promotes chastity, abstinence, and condemns premarital sex or all sexual activity outside of marriage. He stated that “HIV carriers merit respect and must not suffer discrimination.”

The target audience is all too clear. To suggest that anyone deserves AIDS is disgusting.

He stated that paedophile priests should be sent before justice; he added that - according to his personal point of view - retired priests (over 70 years old, that is) who committed sexual abuse should be made aware of what they did but spared removal from the priesthood.

What he said was this:

“Priests who abused children in their care must be made aware of what they did but if they’re no longer working, if they have no responsibilities, I’m not sure that exercising a sort of vengeance that will have no concrete result is humane.”

Personally, I don’t care how old they are or whether or not they have responsibilities. They must face justice.

 

[Allegra]

The target audience is all too clear. To suggest that anyone deserves AIDS is disgusting.

What he said was this:

“Priests who abused children in their care must be made aware of what they did but if they’re no longer working, if they have no responsibilities, I’m not sure that exercising a sort of vengeance that will have no concrete result is humane.”

Personally, I don’t care how old they are or whether or not they have responsibilities. They must face justice.

He didn’t say that they deserve AIDS, he said that AIDS is a natural consequence of immoral sexual activity. My 5th grade health teacher told us that.

 

[EmperorNapoleon]

He didn’t say that they deserve AIDS, he said that AIDS is a natural consequence of immoral sexual activity. My 5th grade health teacher told us that.

Referring to AIDS as a natural consequence and referring to AIDS as “justice” are two different things. One has very ugly connotations.

 

[Allegra]

Referring to AIDS as a natural consequence and referring to AIDS as “justice” are two different things. One has very ugly connotations.

Was his original statement in English? If not, we don’t know the connotation of the word he actually used. Based on the rest of the Bishop’s statement, it seems clear that he does not believe that AIDS is “justice” as in “fair punishment”, but “justice” as in “a well-known possible consequence.” At least, that understanding is more consistant with the rest of his statement.

 

[EmperorNapoleon]

Was his original statement in English? If not, we don’t know the connotation of the word he actually used. Based on the rest of the Bishop’s statement, it seems clear that he does not believe that AIDS is “justice” as in “fair punishment”, but “justice” as in “a well-known possible consequence.” At least, that understanding is more consistant with the rest of his statement.

It was bad enough for his own spokesman to resign and take a crack at him on the way out over it. He meant “justice” as in a deserved and justified affliction.

 

[JMJSHJ]

It was bad enough for his own spokesman to resign and take a crack at him on the way out over it. He meant “justice” as in a deserved and justified affliction.

He meant justice eh? And you know this because:

You speak Dutch?
You can read his mind?

Wow…

 

[Atticus_Sparrow]

Boy. Those two ladies sure do look oppressed.

I’m not sure why certain feminist groups feel that exposing their breasts and painting slogans on them is a successful form of protest. One did that to Putin not too long ago and he looked more amused than anything.

It seems like a “Hey look at me!” form of narcissism that is all too common in pop culture and often mistaken for being intellectual. But whatever floats their poor little upper class, put upon boat.

It’s also sad that no one can discuss or debate any more. You think the bishop is a fiend? Fine, but tell us instead of throwing objects around like you’re just a resident at the chimp exhibit in a zoo.