"THE OLD SCHOOL TIE" FATHER JOHN O'NEILL

To-day, someone I regard highly asked "Who is Father John O'Neill?" or words to that effect.I was stunned but realised how quickly the years pass and the colours tend to fade. So I thought it might be helpful to re-post this item from 28th October 2011.

Subtitled "A story of survival in the tensions of the Catholic Church", it has obviously been written "con amore ". I can say that with gold-plated certainty because I count Father as a friend and I know his ardent love for the Church, even if the evidence of his life's work did not already demonstrate the fact.

The book is a novel, but everything in it happened in one way or another, even though the names have been changed, and some characters are the "telescoped" product of two personalities. Anyone who lived through the period the book re-creates will, as I did, immediately see through the delightfully altered names of people and places to recognize the Archdiocese of Sydney, St.Patrick's Seminary Manly that was, St. Columba's Minor Seminary, Springwood etc., etc. Anyone who loves the Catholic Church and its Priesthood will quickly come to read the book "con amore" also. It traces the journey to Priesthood of two best mates and schoolmates, and their encounter with the post-Conciliar false "spirit of the Council" rogues. the book is very special for me, not only because I know the author, but because I knew or knew of, many of the real characters.

Let us "taste and see":

Father Mark O'Brien has just arrived in Rome to commence post-graduate studies and comes to meet his best friend Father Harry Stuart whose studies are more advanced due to his arrival in Rome a couple of years earlier. Harry is talking to the Queensland Priest Father Greg Jenkins. The Second Vatican Council is continuing............"Greg Jenkins took great interest in the newcomer. Harry had spoken so much of his life-long friend, but always in glowing terms, and Jenkins wondered whether or not this Mark O'Brien was a candidate for canonization.

One free afternoon, Father Jenkins invited Father O'Brien to accompany him on a walking tour. They went across the Tiber and had spent a good while examining the Roman Forum when Jenkins decided it was coffee time. They found a nice place near the Colosseum. Mark was somewhat disappointed at the break in the tour- he was getting immersed in the history.

They settled at one of the little tables on the wide footpath, looking out across the ancient amphitheatre, Constantine's Arch and other surrounding remnants of past grandeur.

"What do you think of Rome?" asked Jenkins.

Mark smiled,"That hardly matters-I'm sure Rome won't be concerned what I think of her; but I love the place anyway."

"Anything in particular?"

"Well, of course, Peter and Paul are here, plus some other apostles-catacombs, remnants of the Empire. The Pope - should have mentioned him first" he laughed. Then there's the Council -biggest event in the Church for centuries."

"How are you going on the Council documents? "

"Read everything that,s released so far."

"You don't muck around, do you, Mark.

"Didn't come here to muck around, Greg."

Jenkins took a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. He offered Mark one. It was refused. But Mark told him to go ahead and have one.

Jenkins blew out the first cloud of smoke, then looked at Mark squarely. An enticing smile came over his face. Mark thought it looked too deliberate.

"If I may say so Mark, you and Harry are going to be quite a force back home."

Mark lowered his cup a little. "What makes you think so?"

"I've never met anyone like you two- you've got all the gifts. I think you're going to be a pair of giants."

Mark laughed once more. " Then we'd better make sure we don't put our feet in it," he said looking straight into Jenkins' eyes.

Jenkins' smooth smile re-appeared." That's very good " he said. I'd say each of you is going to make quite a splash."

" As long as what we do helps people and the Church," said Mark.

"The people are the Church," said Jenkins.

" Now that's a revelation - I thought the Church was just buildings," said Mark, looking at him squarely.

That smile was there again on Jenkins's face. "Sorry", he said, " I shouldn't be trying to teach you. It's just that I think the Church hasn't been taking enough notice of what the people are thinking. This Council's not going far enough."

"it's certainly going long enough", said Mark.

Jenkins gave a laugh, " Then you're getting a bit tired of all these Bishops around the place, eh?"

" I didn't say that. It's a tremendous event- I just think it could be a lot simpler."

" Everything's black and white with you, isn't it, Mark," said Jenkins through his smile.

Father John O'Neill - Tried and True

"If that means everything's clear, then yes."

"So we have all the answers, then."

"In the necessary things, yes."Jenkins' smile changed to a smirk. Mark's inherited Irish brow hardened. "If we haven't the basic answers to man's questions, then Christ is pointless," he said, almost glaring at Jenkins. " What's the use of God becoming man if He leaves us in our confusion, and our weakness.".........

The story continues and the divide between those seeing in the Church and the Council the hermeneutic of continuity as the only possibility, and those who chose a hermeneutic of rupture to secure their New Church opens before our eyes. Just as it happened. Jenkins by the way - the real man became a Queensland suffragan Bishop. But by the force of his personality, he became the "Godfather" of the Queensland bishops - and the wreckage of "Jenkins'" activity persists from Brisbane to Cairns.

Father John O'Neill is Parish Priest of Doonside in Parramatta Diocese, having survived the Episcopates of Cardinals Freeman and Clancy in Sydney, and then the all too vulnerable Bishop Bede Heather (resigned) and Bishop Kevin Manning (Emeritus, and now out of retirement to act as Apostolic Administrator of Wilcannia Forbes). Doonside is fortunate indeed.

Father's latest work is "BENJAMIN"available at http://www.connorcourt.com/catalog1/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=128

EVER THE OPTIMIST PART II ;OPTIMISM EVEN UNDER A CLOUD

PEACE ANNOUNCED IN SYDNEY 1945

So, we had despatched the Nazis and the Empire of Japan - PEACE - right? Well, sort of.  In Europe, those pesky, gloomy Russians were acting up, and their Communist cousins in Asia, China and North Korea, were keen for a fight.

Having just battled for years to make the world safe and free, the former Allies, though tired of struggle, were not about to see the entire effort brought to naught by the Communists.

But somehow we seemed, at least in some quarters, to lack the language to deal with the situation. After all, the Russians were our recent Allies! And every American academic and Hollywood producer LOVED China and the Chinese who had been "sold" to the Allied peoples as just so nice and right - they had been attacked by the Empire of Japan too, hadn't they?

WINSTON CHURCHILL DELIVERS "IRON CURTAIN" SPEECH

As so often in the past, Winston Churchill, now a rather older man than his years - he was 72 -  came to the rescue with his clear thinking and his mobilisation of the English language. On 5th March 1946 at Westminster College in Missouri in the USA, he gave a speech "The Sinews of Peace" in which he declared that an "IRON CURTAIN" had descended upon Europe dividing the free Western countries from the Russian-oppressed Eastern countries. As if scales had fallen from their eyes, the bewildered and politically-confused, and most Americans, now clearly saw that this was NOT Peace but in the words of American financier Bernard Baruch first used on 16th April 1947, it was "COLD WAR".The days of VICTORY hubris began to rapidly fade.

War did, in fact, break out again in Korea on 25th June 1950 when North Korea (backed by the Soviet Union and the by then Communist China invaded the Republic of Korea (South Korea) which was supported by the United Nations. Australia was actively involved in support of the U.N. with its Army, Navy and Air Force. Once again General Douglas MacArthur led the Allied Forces coming out of his role as post War "caesar" ruling defeated Japan in exemplary and impeccable fashion. After initial near-total success the invaders were outflanked and driven back in a brilliant and daring amphibious landing at Inchon.

GENERAL DOUGLAS MACARTHUR AT INCHON LANDING

This little optimist was coming to terms with the world slowly unfolding around him. I had clearly been aware of the Second World War. I know this not only because it must have been so, but because of specific memories. On the 15th August 1945 the older daughter of our neighbours across the street, Judith Dryden ran breathlessly across the street to our back door to announce that the War had ended. "I know that," said 5 years old me "That happened months ago" back flashed the correction: "NO. THAT was the Germans. Now the Japanese have surrendered - it is all over". Clearly, my grasp of the situation had been less than perfect.I had been well aware of the Japanese involvement in the War - I can also remember having been to the movies with Mum and Dad one evening and seeing a War film in which valiant American pilots were outwitting diabolically evil Japanese pilots. On this evening rather than catch the bus home as we normally did, we went to Lidcombe Station To catch the train. As we waited on a crowded Platform 4, a plane flew overhead with droning piston engines. Suddenly the movie experience led this little fellow to announce at the top of his voice"How'd you like a Jap up there with you?" .Mum and Dad were quick to hush me up after this embarrassing unpatriotic challenge! 

But steadily, I became aware of a new topic of conversation: the Atomic Bomb.

At first, it was simply the awesome means by which we had brought the Empire of Japan to its knees and surrender. But gradually, it came to be spoken of as a threat posed to us by the Russians, who were believed to have developed such a weapon also. The sight of its explosion and mushroom cloud was horrifying and magnified in our imaginations by the movie Newsreels. Yet .....surely this would never happen! But the media were ever happy to oblige with scare stories and Government soon obliged with advice on "what to do if" ....most of it rather pointless as later revelations would show. 

But life went on...and that, at a gathering pace of prosperity and modernity. Post War Australia quickly shook off the remains of World War II: the Labor Government was defeated in 1949, rationing of food and petrol was gradually lifted and gone by the end of 1950  (good riddance to the wretched Ration Books symbol of deprivation). During the War, Australia's export trade had suffered badly, but imports - mainly of war materials from the United States, had soared. The result was that after the War Australia had substantial US Dollar debts and imports from the United States were severely curtailed. I can recall being amazed when I saw a marvellous new 1948 Buick Straight Eight which I was told in hushed tones belonged to a Labor Party Senator, at a General Motors Dealership in the city - it was the first car I ever saw which had internal lights that came on automatically when the door opened. For some people US Dollars were available! But I can recall much talk about the shortage of U.S. Dollars. There was also much talk about "putting value back into the Pound" (this was of course pre Decimal Currency which did not arrive until 1966.) To-day we would laugh at anyone attempting to roll back inflation!

The day to day improvements in life in Australia in some way distracted us all from the dreadful thought of the Mushroom Cloud which might have overshadowed my optimism.

FIRST HOLY COMMUNION CLASS 1947 SURROUNDS OUR BELOVED FATHER CON DONOVAN

YOUR BORN OPTIMIST IS SECOND FROM THE LEFT IN THE FRONT ROW

But it was not only material improvement that was affecting my life but also Spiritual and educational factors that were involved. In 1947 I made my First Holy Communion and my life was forever changed - far more than I knew at the time. Heart and mind and spirit I belonged to Christ and have done and will do to the end of the way. Educationally, I finished my Primary Schooling at St.Peter Chanel's Convent School run by the Sisters of Saint Joseph. (Nuns were authentic Nuns and devout Catholics in those days.) and in 1950 commenced in Fifth Class at Marist Brothers High School, Lidcombe. I can't recall any of my fellow students being concerned about the Bomb - if they were, it was not deemed worth talking about.

There exists in Australia what is popularly known as the "she be" system.It comes from the expression "she'll be right" that is: no need to worry about (whatever) it will be OK". As should be obvious this is NOT a noble approach to many situations, it is not an admirable way of proceeding. But it has its uses - I guess it was able to deal with Atomic Bomb anxieties!

EVER THE OPTIMIST PART 1 CHILD OF THE GREAT CRUSADE

Baby me just returned from the shop in late 1940/early 1941.
"Where is that war they are all talking about?"

 If all the norms of gestation were fully operational, it would seem that my life began on or about 9th July 1939. Mid Winter in Australia, July  was to feature the lowest temperature of the year at 4 Degrees Celsius, yet only five months later the 12thDecember, 1939 was to be the hottest of the year -  39Degrees Celsius.

But on that day of my likely conception, things were already "hotting up" in Europe. On that day, in the Free City of Danzig (Gdansk), thousands of Nazis gathered and demonstrated against Polish rights in Danzig, they heard Gau Leiter Forster predict that the Fuhrer Adolph Hitler would soon "liberate "the Free City of Danzig. They wanted Poland to give up the right to store weapons and munitions at Westerplatte at the entrance to Danzig Harbour.

Some weeks later, upon the expiry of an English Ultimatum, which the Nazis ignored, England and France declared war on Germany with the avowed purpose of freeing Poland from the Nazi invasion which Hitler had launched on 1st September,1939 immediately after springing on the Allies the shock that he had concluded a Non-Aggression Treaty with the Soviet Union! Australia announced on the same day that, "as a consequence" of England's action, we were also at war with Germany. On 17th September the Soviets also launched an invasion of Poland from their side.

These early months of the War from the Allied side, became the cause of much derisive comment. Many were expecting much more activity, and the term "Sitzkrieg" was coined (referring to the Nazi side "Blitzkrieg" - more polite folk used the term "The Phoney War".

True, the French did launch an attack on the German SAAR coal-mining and Industrial heartland, but within days they had been pushed back.


But, if one lived in Poland, the war was deadly real, and the Polish forces were hopelessly outmatched by the Nazis. By October Poland had fallen - squeezed to death by the Nazis from the West and the Soviets from the East. those naive Left inclined folk in the Allied Countries and in America, who had thought of the Soviets as among the "good guys" were bitterly disillusioned as the Soviet Army stopped on their side of the Vistula to allow the Nazis to subjugate the Poles and with particular ferocity to deal with the Jewish population.

NURSE BIGNALL's "Hospital" at Lidcombe where I was born0n 9th April.1940.

Meanwhile, at around 5.00 pm on Tuesday 9th April, I was born. I suppose it could be argued that by that very fact I was joining the great crusade which the war had become. For it was a crusade of GOOD (us of course!) against EVIL (the Nazis of course). I was to be 5 years old when the War, very much expanded and all-consuming - had finished. But there was never a time in that childhood that I was ever left in any doubt that WE would win. After all, GOOD triumphs......doesn't it? But this was already the time of "careful the child might hear you". Did my parents have anxieties about the result of the War that they never communicated to me?

CENSORSHIP

There was in place strict security censorship of the limited Media of the day: Radio, Press, and Newsreel at the "Pictures" as we called the Movies.

For example, on the day I was born THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD (then boasting it was in it's ONE HUNDRED AND NINTH YEAR OF PUBLICATION' and it cost Tuppence - two pennies in to-day's currency 1.66 cents ) carried this small item on Page 10. Pages 10 and 11 were primarily given over to War News:

"CENSORSHIP BAN  Ship at Honolulu FACTS BROADCAST BY B.B.C.

Canberra Monday

The Federal Cabinet will probably discuss the banning of all references in the newspapers to the departure of a certain ship from Honolulu. The arrival and departure of the ship was broadcast by the B.B.C. shortwave station, but nevertheless, censorship authorities in Australia prohibited any reference to the vessel. When the Prime Minister Mr. Menzies was asked whether he had any comment to make, he said that the Ministers would probably discuss censorship with particular reference to this question tomorrow."

It is an intriguing instance - the vessel was not the QUEEN ELIZABETH which was being converted to a troop carrier in New York. It being too early to be her.

 But there we have it - censorship in action, even if the paper was doing its best to challenge it. My parents did not take the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD but rather an evening Tabloid - so they would have been unlikely to see this little story.

QUEEN MARY AND QUEEN ELIZABETH PASS EXITING AND ENTERING SYDNEY HEADS 9thApril1941

But the task of censorship was not a simple thing when really big things were afoot! On my First Birthday, Sydney Harbour was the scene of something quite spectacular: in order to take tens of thousands of Australian troops to the war against the Nazis, Four of the largest Liners afloat entered Sydney Harbour on the same day. In peacetime, in those days, we would never have seen them - they were Liners NOT Cruise ships and their business was the trans-Atlantic passenger trade - they were QUEEN ELIZABETH 83,673 tons, QUEEN MARY 80.774 tons, AQUITANIA 45,647 tons and ILE DE FRANCE 43,153 tons.  By his marvelling repetition of their names, my Dad effectively drummed them into my brain over the coming years. But there was a double surprise for this TOP SECRET mission: over 100,000 people lined Sydney Heads and the foreshores to see the great "secret" spectacle. Of course, with so many thousands of soldiers under orders to ship out on the same day, everyone quickly got the message. On this occasion "loose lips, did NOT sink ships" since the speed of the Liners was too great for the submarines of the day.

The fact that the Empire of Japan had launched 70 Air attacks against the Port of Darwin in Australia's Northern Territory, between February 1942 and November 1943, did not become public knowledge until well after the War. That news had been censored.

So it is at least possible, that my parents did not consider defeat at all likely.

CATALOGUE OF WOES

Even so, the sledgehammer blows to allied confidence, which came in rapid succession and were reported, must have been heavily depressing :

in May-June 1940 the evacuation at Dunkirk

in June 1940 the fall of France

in May of 1941 the Loss of the "mighty" H.M.S. HOOD

in May-June, 1941 the fall of Greece and Crete

in July 1941 the fall of Syria and Lebanon

in December 1941 the fall of Tobruk

on 7th December 1941 devastating Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor

on 10th December1941 the loss of Battleships H.M.S PRINCE OF WALES and REPULSE on their way to protect Singapore and the East

in February 1942, the fall of SINGAPORE

in August 1942, it seemed that Stalingrad would fall.

It was a catalogue of woes. Compensating actions such as the sinking of K.M.S. BISMARCK  and the success of the retreat from Dunkirk strangely metamorphosed into a type of moral victory, and the heroically defiant survival of Malta had significant psychological benefits, but there was no doubting who had the strategic upper hand.

BUT ON THE BRIGHTER SIDE

But for the little "born optimist" none of this disturbed my child-like tranquillity. In fact, major events continued even against the background of war preparations. Major events like my first visit to Santa Claus at Mark Foys - the "Catholic" Department Store in its Italianate building with its tiled external walls. The huge display windows were boarded up against possible air raid damage - I must have been told why -I was ever asking questions - but I cannot recall any anxiety at that. After all, I was to see SANTA!

20th December,1942 - Grandma Dixon firmly holding my hand. Note the Cloth Coat she is wearing and the hat and dress - older people, particularly those who saw themselves as Working Class  "dressed their age"1