What do you think should/will happen after the Irish ‘no’ vote?

After the French and Dutch ‘no’ on the constitutional treaty, I thought they (the political élite) should drop ex-Part III (the neoliberal part) and demote the corresponding parts of the treaties into the acquis (which we can then work on/fight against with non-constitutional means, say in the European Parliament).

I suppose the corresponding thing now is to demote what would have become the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union into the acquis, and pass the Treaty on European Union (ex-Parts I and IV) plus the Charter of Fundamental Rights (ex-Part II).

I know that Daniel Cohn-Bendit wants a European Union-wide referendum: he said so at a speech in Oxford.

Irish health warning:
perspective limits paper
(necessarily)

you can’t grow palm trees
on some County Antrim coast
ecumenism?

it’s a small country
everyone’s on a network
and you can do that!

for each statelet, a
constitutional colour
Do I have to choose?

‘Corrymeela’ means
hill of honey, harmony;
or turn on the road

can you write a poem,
man, to your X chromosome –
perhaps a love poem?

I look for a day
when the remaining ‘trouble’
will be those short skirts!

my immune system
like the England football team
is winning just now

a time of silence
to give thanks for the food now
Corrymeela style

a well-pulled Guinness
in a half-litre glass, and
costing five euros

Russia and abroad: The Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia is formally reunited with the Russian Orthodox Church.

Here are the Commons (Westminster Hall) debate and the Dáil debate on a similar topic late last November, and the debate in the European Parliament last September.

Back in 2003, these Irish activists damaged a US military plane. (P&C post #2 was about them. I’ve been told the AP has a story about this, but the only other reportage I find online is from Counterpunch.)

Download the movie (12.4MB, .mpg)

* SEE! Saint Patrick stickfighting with a leprechaun!

* HEAR! Saint Patrick talk about his life!

* FEEL! The history of Ireland in the popular .mpg format!

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The Real Saint Patrick

by Michael Cahill

St. Patrick lived in a time of great violence and martyrdom. Although most stories about the saint are legendary, scholars claim two writings are authentically his: the well-known Confessio and the lesser-known Letter to the Soldiers of Coroticus. Both of these writings reveal a very humble and non-violent person who had a great faith in the Trinity.

St. Patrick rejected the life of “nobility,” “municipal senator,” and his patriarchal title, to be in solidarity with the poor slaves in Ireland, because “God respects the estate of the lowest.”

St. Patrick’s counterpart today would be Oscar Romero. Like Romero, he rejected the abuse of power and militarism in his day. “Not only those committing this evil but those who consent to it shall also be condemned.”

Like other Fathers of the Church he spoke out clearly against war and the military, quoting scripture.

“Thou shalt not kill. Homocide cannot be with Christ. He who hates his brother is a murderer. He who does not love his brother abides in death.”

Like John Paul II—who said to youth in Ireland, “I beg you on my knees not to listen to those who train you in the ways of violence”—St. Patrick said to his people, “I beg you, you who are holy and humble of heart, not to suffer yourselves to be flattered or deceived by such persons, not to take meat or drink with them, nor to receive alms from them, until they atone to God and those for whom Christ died and was crucified.”

St. Patrick’s letter to the soldiers speaks to us today concerning the deceased whom “the sword has cruelly exterminated: for it is written—weep with those that weep, and again if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it.”

All quotes are from “Letter to the Soldiers of Coroticus.”

Update: The trial ended in a mistrial. Now it’s up to the State to decide if they will be tried again.

Thank you for giving us winter,
when we are most aware of our individuality;
when we remember how we are responsible for ourselves
and how we should take care of one another.

Thank you for giving us winter,
when we crave for the warm places
and the company of close friends;
when we remember friends afar
and want to get in touch with them again.

Help our immune systems in this season —
help us to care for ourselves and for one another,
so we may be strong to do your work.

Lord, in your mercy, HEAR OUR PRAYER.

2.
God, thank you for giving us this
beautiful and ancient city of Oxford,
where we go to schools and universities,
where we meet our friends and make new friends.
Thank you for the streets and for the countryside.

Remind us that
we are meant to be your saints;
we are to look forward to your city; and
we are to work for your kingdom.

God, we remember the scholars and students —
free them from any restraints that keep them from the truth.
May they be closer to you as they find things out.

Lord, in your mercy, HEAR OUR PRAYER.

3.
God, we pray for all the places where we have friends,
where we marked with stars on the map.

We especially pray for our neighbours in Wolvercote
and those in Northern Ireland too,
as they approach the upcoming elections.
Give each of them wisdom and understanding
as they go to the ballot box.

We also think of the places in the news this week:
Turkey, Iraq, and Georgia —
we don’t always understand what is going on.
Help us, Lord, help us.

Lord, in your mercy, HEAR OUR PRAYER.

4.
Lord, thank you for giving us
the freedom to travel,
that we may understand the world, your creation,
and the people in it.

God, we remember those who cannot travel freely,
those who fear travelling for one reason or another,
those who will never see their names on a plane ticket,
those who are forced to leave their homes, families and friends,
and those amongst us who need our hospitality.

We also remember those who are travelling at the moment:
Lord, keep them safe.

Lord, in your mercy, HEAR OUR PRAYER.

5.
Lord,
whenever we flip a switch,
whenever we lick a stamp,
whenever we eat and drink,
whenever we go shopping,
help us to remember
how we are connected to you
how we are connected to everybody on this planet.

Lord, in your mercy, HEAR OUR PRAYER.

6.
Lord, help us to work for a world
where no parents will say
‘I don’t have enough time to spend with my children;
‘I don’t have enough money to bring up my children;
‘I can’t get enough help to care for my children;
‘there is nowhere safe for my children to play.’

Lord, in your mercy, HEAR OUR PRAYER.

7.
May what we do be worship to you;
may what we say be prayer to you;
may our rest be thanksgiving to you;
may what we care be intercession to you.

Lord, in your mercy, HEAR OUR PRAYER.

1.
Lord,
our sustainer,
healer,
and comforter,
thank you for this beautiful autumn,
for the maple trees and apple trees.
Lord, in your mercy, HEAR OUR PRAYER.

2.
We thank you
for those who keep the utilities running,
for those who take away our rubbish,
for those who deliver our post and email,
for those who build and maintain our roads,
for those who run our buses and trains,
for those who grow and harvest our food,
for those who keep us informed and those who entertain us,
and for those who take care of our health.
Lord, in your mercy, HEAR OUR PRAYER.

3.
We thank you
for the police officers,
for the government ministers and civil servants,
for all the political parties,
and for all those who serve us and minister to us.
Help us to know how we can serve them and minister to them.
Lord, in your mercy, HEAR OUR PRAYER.

4.
God, we pray for the international institutions, in particular
the European Union
(we pray for the member state and the applicant countries),
the Commonwealth,
and Nato.
Lord, help each of us to participate fully in the democratic process.
Lord, in your mercy, HEAR OUR PRAYER.

5.
Lord, we pray for the Church,
which is very different from all the worldly organizations,
and in which we find the sweet fellowship
with sisters and brothers in Christ,
near and far,
those who went before us,
those who are here with us now,
and those who are to come.
For this we thank you.
Lord, in your mercy, HEAR OUR PRAYER.

6.
We thank you for those who strive to make peace and keep peace,
each in their own way.
Lord, guide them;
Christ, teach them;
Lord, inspire them.
Help them to find your way to Peace.
Lord, in your mercy, HEAR OUR PRAYER.

7.
We pray
for all those who work,
for the retired,
for the unemployed,
for those who have better things to do than work,
for those who feel underappreciated for their work.
Lord, in your mercy, HEAR OUR PRAYER.

8.
We pray for the students, each of them –
especially the new students coming to university,
wherever they are now;
Help us to know how to reach out to them.
Lord, in your mercy, HEAR OUR PRAYER.

9.
Lord, remind us what you want us to do –
not just on Sunday mornings,
but also on Wednesday afternoons,
and Saturday nights.
Lord, in your mercy, HEAR OUR PRAYER.

And now we close with the prayer of Jesus.