“Fr. Gruner distinguished himself with his magnificent obsession declaring that the consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart had never been done. He produced an astonishing amount of material to vulnerable and illiterate Catholics, planting doubts about the hierarchy. He sowed mistrust of the hierarchy wherever he went.”
This in-your-face post doesn’t seem to have attracted much attention thus far. Perhaps Father is counting on our response to generate traffic for his site, I don’t know. Perhaps the better part of valor would be for us to just ignore it altogether. But it so happens that Father Gruner was a friend of mine, and it is difficult for me to see a humble priest bullied like this, his reputation pilloried (by a fellow priest, no less!), even as he lies defenseless in his own casket.
Father Gruner's friends are in mourning today; his family is devastated; even his critics are for the most part observing his passing with dignified silence. But not Father Paul, a priest who seems to enjoy limitless opportunities to fritter away his time on the Internet.
But I’ll take the bait, Father Paul. I am indeed offended by your use of the funeral of a holy priest to promote your blog. I’m offended by your bashing of the dead (both Archbishop Lefebvre and Father Gruner) and indulging in a self-satisfying rant against Bishop Bernard Fellay, who is coming all the way from Switzerland to celebrate the Fatima priest’s requiem tomorrow. (God bless Bishop Fellay for his charity and priestly dignity. He will not stoop to respond to Father Paul’s attacks against his good name, I guarantee it.)
You can read Father Nicholson’s funeral protest here.
I'm not sure what Father's problem is exactly, but he seems to crave negative attention. And although the parallel isn’t perfect, his prolonged rant against Father Gruner’s funeral reminded me of another cult leader who used to exploit God, His law and the funerals of dead soldiers for purposes of self-promotion, always claiming to be on the side of the angels, of course.
I've often wondered if the Phelps gang weren't in the employ of the far-Left, so offensive and polarizing were their counterproductive antics “in God’s name”. We must pray for Father Paul Nicholson—a seemingly frustrated priest whose antics are becoming similarly strident. Faithful Catholics have been through enough, it seems to me, at the hands of "conservative" celebrity priests who seem to crave the limelight just a wee bit too much.
Please, Father, let it go, and let's all remember the repose of the soul of Father Nicholas Gruner in our prayers today and especially tomorrow. May he rest in peace.