Official reply from Msgr Sean Harty of Quebec diocese re My Letter to Pope re Ej

ection from R funeral and Mussolini fresco

by James R Dubro on Tuesday, November 23, 2010 at 11:56am
Official Answer from Msgr Sean Harty O f WQuebec re my letter to His Holiness: a
nd my reply ,nov 23, 2010:
Sean Harty <sharty@diocesemontreal.org> wrote:
> Dear Mr. Duro, Interesting letter to the Pope. This story happens every time
the Church holds a funeral for a noted sinner. Canon law states that every bapti
zed RC is entitled to a Catholic funeral. Those who end their own lives by suici
de, those who have not lived according to gospel values, those who are executed
for horrible crimes. The consoling part of Catholic funeral is that whether you
are a prince or pauper the rite is exactly the same. Now about being thrown out
I celebrated the funeral of John Bauer who murdered
> his three sons, his wife his business partner and his father in law and yes Jo
hn had a catholic funeral. You will find the story in the archives of Mclean's.
The family requested that no media be present in fact they were so terrorized by
the media attention
> they almost did not want to attend the funeral. Imagine that feeling. ?So I hi
red secuirty to ensure that the media did not move around the Church. I guess fr
om the media perspective it cramped their style but for a grieving and distraugh
t family it meant all the difference.
> I celebrate Confirmations in that church and I must admit the fresco of Mussol
ini does seem out of place. However that particular Church is an historical chur
ch given
> a high status by the Quebec government, they could not remove that fresoc if t
hey wanted to.It is the case with many of our buildings. So altogether you had a
bad experience when you came to visit for the funeral. I regret that. However t
here is a very big difference between church culture here in Quebec and the rest
of Canada. As a first generation Canadian of irish origin...I too struggle with
some of the differences.
> I guess I have a question for you is there an expectation from journalists th
at
> Weddings of high profile individuals or funerals of such are automatically ope
n to the media? If so how did this evolve this understanding. I understand it of
course when
> It is a State funeral but a family funeral even if the individual is high prof
ile is it the media's right to come into the place of the funeral.? An answer wo
uld be aprreciated.
> Hope you get an answer from the Pope or at least an acknowledgment.
> Msgr. Sean Harty

James Dubro
256 Jarvis St, Suite 5C
Toronto, Canada M5B2J4
phone=416-597-6676 (landline)
Email address=jamesdubrobooks@on.aibn.com
Webpage= http://www.crimewriterscanada.com/dubro-james
On Skype= " "James (abookguy)"
23 Nov 2010
Dear Mngr Sean Harty
First thanks for your detailed reply. I understand your explanation.
I do not have an expectation to attend a funeral as a journalist though I have i
n several cases over the years--very discreetly of course. Back when I was first
doing stories about the Mafia in the 70's--I was often the only discreet camera
outside (usually across the street). I really did go to pay my "respects"--I wa
s not covering it for any paper or anything else. Just went out of "respect". An
d a simple Catholic funeral mass in itself is not newsworthy. (MY favourite Cath
olic funeral was for Morley Callaghan when the Cardinal who officiated--Carter I
think-- allowed a Jazz group to do "When the Saints Go Marching in" as they car
ried the casket out. Morley would have loved it .
I guess I would say as long as one is respectful and discreet (as I was and as
other journalists and cops in the church obviously were) there is not reason to
throw anyone out of church. The final man who asked me to leave knew I had writt
en a number of books on the Mafia--and said I was a "genetleman" for leaving.
As for Mussolini--Yes it is historic and should be in some museum not among the
Biblical iconographic frescoes which beautify that lovely church. for that matte
r. But the artist is famous (and very good). Still Mussolini amongst the saints
and revered one is a bit rich.
And I assume old man Nicolo Rizzuto may have repented some of his murders and cr
ime. There is no question in his case that he was a serious criminal--with a rec
ord--and almost a public figure. (well Godfather of Montreal is just about that.
..--he once had a restaurant called the Godfather in Caracas, Venzuela which we
filmed in 1978.

Again thanks for the honest, gracious and informative reply. I know the Holy Fat
her has courageously spoken out against the MAfia and its violence in the past y
ear in Italy so he or his assistants might see fit to explain church doctrine re
funerals of noted Mafia leaders here in Canada, the US and in Italy and around
the world.
--
Sincerely..james Dubro
from the desk of James Dubro
---- Sean Harty <sharty@diocesemontreal.org> wrote:
> Dear Mr. Duro, Interesting letter to the Pope. This story happens every time
the Church holds a funeral for a noted sinner. Canon law states that every bapti
zed RC is entitled to a Catholic funeral. Those who end their own lives by suici
de, those who have not lived according to gospel values, those who are executed
for horrible crimes. The consoling part of Catholic funeral is that whether you
are a prince or pauper the rite is exactly the same. Now about being thrown out
I celebrated the funeral of John Bauer who murdered
> his three sons, his wife his business partner and his father in law and yes Jo
hn had a catholic funeral. You will find the story in the archives of Mclean's.
The family requested that no media be present in fact they were so terrorized by
the media attention
> they almost did not want to attend the funeral. Imagine that feeling. ?So I hi
red secuirty to ensure that the media did not move around the Church. I guess fr
om the media perspective it cramped their style but for a grieving and distraugh
t family it meant all the difference.
> I celebrate Confirmations in that church and I must admit the fresco of Mussol
ini does seem out of place. However that particular Church is an historical chur
ch given
> a high status by the Quebec government, they could not remove that fresoc if t
hey wanted to.It is the case with many of our buildings. So altogether you had a
bad experience when you came to visit for the funeral. I regret that. However t
here is a very big difference between church culture here in Quebec and the rest
of Canada. As a first generation Canadian of irish origin...I too struggle with
some of the differences.
> I guess I have a question for you is there an expectation from journalists th
at
> Weddings of high profile individuals or funerals of such are automatically ope
n to the media? If so how did this evolve this understanding. I understand it of
course when
> It is a State funeral but a family funeral even if the individual is high prof
ile is it the media's right to come into the place of the funeral.? An answer wo
uld be aprreciated.
> Hope you get an answer from the Pope or at least an acknowledgment.
> Msgr. Sean Harty
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: jamesdubrobooks@on.aibn.com [mailto:jamesdubrobooks@on.aibn.com]
> Sent: November 17, 2010 2:19 PM
> To: Sean Harty
> Subject: re FYI my letter to the Holy Father re MAfia and Mussolini in quebec
church
>
> James Dubro
> 256 Jarvis St, Suite 5C
> Toronto, Canada M5B2J4
> phone=416-597-6676 (landline)
> Email address=jamesdubrobooks@on.aibn.com
> Webpage= http://www.crimewriterscanada.com/dubro-james
> On Skype= " "James (abookguy)"
>
>
>
> To the editor, Globe and MAil,
>
> FYI a copy of a letter/email I sent to Pope Benedict today re
Mafia and the Church (and Mussolini fresco and Church)
>
>
> Date:
> Wednesday, November 17, 2010 12:51 PM
> From:
> jamesdubrobooks@on.aibn.com
> To:
> benedictxvi@vatican.va
> Subject:
> Why was I thrown out of a church and why a fresco of Benito Mussolini still?
> Size:
> 2 KB
> James Dubro
> 256 Jarvis St, Suite 5C
> Toronto, Canada M5B2J4
> phone=416-597-6676 (landline)
> Email address=jamesdubrobooks@on.aibn.com
> Webpage= http://www.crimewriterscanada.com/dubro-james
> On Skype= " "James (abookguy)"
>
>
> 17 November 2010
>
>
> To His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI:
>
>
> I just wanted to bring to your attention that I was unceremoniously thrown out
by Mafia hired goons from Notre DAme-de- la -Defense, a lovely Catholic church
in the heart of Montreal's Little Italy on Monday November 15 2010 before the c
elebration of the funeral service for the assassinated Mafia Godfather Nicolo Ri
zzuto, a well-known killer and Mafia leader for 50 years (in both Quebec and
> Italy) I also bring to your attention that the Church still features a fresco
of Mussolini on the ceiling along with some lovely religious/Biblical iconograpp
hy.
> Don't you think that a fresco honouring the Fascist dictator might be covered
up in a Catholic church? It is somewhat incongruous as Mussolini is a hero to no
one but fascists and thugs these days (and for the past 70 years I might add...
)
>
> sincerely and with deep respect....james R Dubro
>
> PS I note that not only did the Church offer a noted killer a dignified CAthol
ic funeral but communion was given to many of the Mafia soldiers and killers/cri
minals present there to pay their respects.
>
> from the desk of James Dubro
>