Scottish Lib Dem Fundraising leader sees quest for pupil comon ground has friendship with Catholics. at heart. Page 7 SUPPORTING 50 YEARS OF SCIAF, 1965-2015 Page 4 No 5613 VISIT YOUR NATIONAL CATHOLIC NEWSPAPER ONLINE AT WWW.SCONEWS.CO.UK Friday March 27 2015 | £1 Pope accepts Cardinal O’Brien’s resignation and private retirement By Ian Dunn POPE Francis has formally accepted the resignation of Cardinal Keith O’Brien following a meeting between the two. The Church confirmed on Friday that the former Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh will continue to observe the strictly private life he has lived since he resigned in February 2013 before the last Papal election. He will no longer be performing the key duties of a cardinal—such as holding Pontifical Commission office or attending or participating in consistories or conclaves—but retains his ‘red hat.’ Pope Francis has asked Cardinal O’Brien (below) to keep living a simple and quiet life following the cardinal’s admission of behaviour unbecoming of his office. A formal statement released by the Vatican said: “The Holy Father has accepted the resignation of the rights and privileges of a cardinal, expressed in canons 349, 353 and Open your hearts to the deafblind 356 of the Code of Canon Law, presented by His Eminence Cardinal I Keith Michael Patrick O’Brien, World’s only deaf and blind priest calls on Catholics to show love to the visually and hearing impaired Archbishop Emeritus of St Andrews By Daniel Harkins Fr Cyril Axelrod OBE, a deaf blind South African priest and Edinburgh, after a period of wisdom and helps people to learn to communicate in (wearing kilt), visited Scotland last week and is seen here prayer and penance. With this provision, a different way using language which I think is a with members of Deaf Blind Scotland at Lenzie Union Church His Holiness would like to manifest THE world’s only deaf and blind Catholic priest beautiful gift of God.” PIC: PAUL McSHERRY his pastoral solicitude to all the has called on the Church to open its heart to the Faithful of the Church in Scotland visually and hearing impaired. Tackling prejudice old girl was refused care benefits because the Department and to encourage them to continue During a visit to Scotland, Fr Cyril Axelrod said Fr Axelrod said that we must learn ‘not to be afraid for Works and Pensions deemed her disability not with hope the path of renewal and the Church must learn from those who are deaf and of disabled people or afraid of having a disability, to severe enough. Her care has continued to be refused reconciliation.” blind and said he was praying ‘for all the bishops and open one’s heart and enable people to communicate because her father works in Germany. Cardinal O’Brien said he accepted the Pope to open their hearts and show their love to and to ensure that people can be active members of the decision of the Holy Father. deafblind people.’ their family.’ Help and understanding “I wish to repeat the apology which The priest—a Catholic convert—was speaking in “Families [can] be afraid of having a deafblind Drena O’Malley of Deafblind Scotland said deafblind I made to the Catholic Church and the Lenzie Union Church Hall outside Glasgow at an child or a deafblind adult and they think ‘I don’t people have a particular problem finding volunteers people of Scotland some two years ago event organised by charity Deafblind Scotland. know what to do.’ So its about encouraging people to help them leave their house and socialise. now on March 3 2013,” he said. Fr Axelrod spoke to the SCO via an interpreter and families how to communicate with deafblind “I don’t know more than two deafblind people in using Hands-On Signing, where a deafblind person people or family members and remember God’s love Scotland who go to church,” she said. I Continued on page 2 places their hands over the hands of a signer to enable for them, because it is very important for deafblind John Boyle, a parishioner at St Alphonsus, them to follow the signing movements. people to remember that they are part of family life attended Fr Axelrod’s event. He went blind after and they are loved by their family. That’s the main developing glaucoma and has partial hearing loss. Calling motivation for my work.” He explained that his condition has given him an Fr Axelrod was born deaf in Cape Town, South Fr Axelrod said prejudice against the deafblind and understanding of the isolation that can come with Africa, in 1952 to Jewish parents. Unable to follow the disabled does exist but that ‘it comes from ignorance deafness and blindness. service in his synagogue, he found a calling to become —nobody has been able to teach them.’ “If someone is telling a joke and everyone is laughing a Catholic priest and minister to other deaf people. “It’s very important… that people remain open and —nothing is worse [if you are deaf],” he said. “I After falling during Mass one day he found out he to remove one’s fears and perhaps prejudices and learn wonder how that person feels missing the joke—are had Usher Syndrome which was causing him to lose that they need to embrace people who are deafblind, they thinking ‘are they laughing at me?’” his sight. Unperturbed, he went on to work in countries welcome them and be open to them. It is not easy and we Mr Boyle says he has limited independence—he across the world, and has met three Popes and been have a long way to go to teach that but what I’m trying couldn’t get to church unless a guide or his wife took given an OBE by the Queen. to do is plant the seed. Will it grow? Hopefully it will. him—and believes not enough is done within the “When I came to realise that I was becoming blind “That is why I am really happy to be a priest Church to support those who are deafblind, I thought to myself, God is giving me the ability to because I can push that agenda. People have asked highlighting a lack of provisions for confession. work with people who are also deafblind, so it me ‘how can you be a priest: you can’t see and you became a message that I was sharing—to help people can’t hear?’And my answer is, God helps me to help I For more information or help with deafblindness, accept their deafblindness and to remember to never you to free yourself from that fear.” contact Deafblind Scotland by visiting http://www. forget that God still loves them,” Fr Axelrod said. There are 356,000 deafblind people in the UK. deafblindscotland.org.uk or phoning 0141 775 3311 “Also God has used my blindness as his gift and that They face a number of social and associated health is because deafblindness brings a different sort of problems. Last month, it emerged a deafblind 8-year- I [email protected] SCO, 19 Waterloo Street, Glasgow G2 6BT I tel 0141 221 4956 I fax 0141 221 4546 I e-mail [email protected] 2 NEWS SCOTTISH CATHOLIC OBSERVER FRIDAY MARCH 27 2015 High honour bestowed upon former supreme knight Ron Lynch By Tom Knight Former supreme knight of the Knights of St Columba, Ron Lynch, wearing the insignia of a Knight of the Order of St Gregory the Great ON SATURDAY, March 14, at the Cathedral Church of St Barnabas, Nottingham, Ron Lynch, the immediate past supreme knight of the Knights of St Columba, was bestowed by public expression of esteem on the part of the with the Knighthood Honour of the Papal Holy See.’ Equestrian Order of St Gregory the Great, one The order of the Knights of St Columba was of the highest honours that a layperson can founded in Glasgow in 1919 and is seen as an receive from the Catholic Church. organised body of Catholic men who pledge total After the homily, Mgr Edward Walker of St loyalty to the Holy See. It is based on the Funda- Hugh’s of Lincoln gave a speech on the work and mental virtues of Charity, Unity and Fraternity, all achievements of Ron Lynch in both the church and of which were much in evidence at the ceremony his community. He then called him forward to in Nottingham, demonstrating the strong relation- present him with the Knights of St Gregory ship between the Knights of St Columba and the insignia and the documentation that accompanied Catholic Church. the honour. Supreme Knight, Charlie McCluskey and The Papal Equestrian Order of St Gregory the parishioner of St Alphonsus, Calton commented: Great, to quote the citation, is an order of merit to “All of us in the Knights of St Columba warmly be bestowed on ‘Gentlemen of proven loyalty to congratulate Brother Ron on this award from the the Holy See who, by reason of their nobility of Holy Father. It is well deserved for all the work he birth and the renown of their deeds or the degree of has done for our organisation, the Church and his their munificence, are deemed worthy to be honoured community. He is continually in our prayers.” SPOTLIGHT ON Care Not Killing briefs politicians on assisted suicide dangers MSPs were given a full and a disability rights activist and message they were of less worth. frank view of the consequences Gordon MacDonald from CND.