I have a new hero in Ireland. Her name is Emma Somers. She is a free-lance writer and she has come up with the most elegant and simple way to reply to Pope Benedict XVI’s letter to the Irish people regarding the sex crisis in the Catholic Church. We are all going to drop him a line, compose a letter, fire off an email, send an epistle, you choose the form it takes as long as the message is sent. I know this is starting as an Irish initiative, but I would like to see a more international effort supporting Emma’s campaign. This is a show of support for Ireland’s concerned movers and shakers who are done with the abuse committed by clergy and covered up and denied by the hierarchy of the Catholic Church. This is a show of support for survivors worldwide. This is a pontifical “WAKE-UP” call to the Holy See.
Emma’s WordPress Blog is called “Dear Mr. Ratzinger: Letters from Ireland“. The rules are simple (I hope she forgives me for cutting and pasting):
No 1: Read the pope’s letter
Please do not post a response unless you have read the pastoral letter from the pope — or at least the parts directed at you (eg victims, young people, parents, etc). It is posted here.
No 2: Write your reply
It may be one line, it may match the pope’s 4,000 words — either way, you can get your message across. Feel free to borrow from other letters here if you have trouble articulating your feelings.
No 3: Share your reply
If you are comfortable sharing all or part of your reply, please post it as a comment on “Dear Mr. Ratzinger“. Your letter may inspire others to put pen to paper.
No 4: Post your reply on Saturday 15th May 2010
This is the most important part. DO NOT FORGET TO POST OR EMAIL YOUR LETTER! For the biggest impact, we will send our letters on the same day and show the Vatican Ireland cares about victims of clerical child abuse.
Note: (For you Americans out there, Post=Mail, find a stamp and mail the thing)
Participants are invited to meet at the GPO on O’Connell Street, Dublin, at 2pm on Saturday 15th May to post our letters as a group. (If you would like to be sent a reminder for this, please email dearmrratzinger@gmail.com with ‘Reminder GPO’ in the subject line. Your email will not be passed on or used for any other purposes.)
If you can’t make it to the GPO, all you need to do is post or email your letter before 5pm on Saturday 15th May. (Again, for a reminder, please email dearmrratzinger@gmail.com with the word ‘Reminder’ in the subject line.)
Address for letters: Pope Benedict XVI, Apostolic Palace, 00120 Vatican City
-or-
His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI
00120 Via del Pellegrino
Citta del Vaticano
Address for emails: benedictxvi@vatican.va
No 5: Spread the word
Please pass “Dear Mr. Ratzinger: Letters from Ireland” on to anyone you know who might be interested in having their voice heard or help friends and family who are not online to get involved in the campaign.
Consider this “Spreading the Word”! I need a Canadian and an Australian to get the word out in your neck of the woods.
For those of us that can’t make it to the GPO in Dublin on the 15th because of lack of funding, expired passports, or Icelandic volcanos, I recommend similar gatherings at post offices around the world. Talk amongst yourselves and come up with an appropriate location, preferably near a mail box, post box, container approved by your local postal authority or free WiFi hotspot.
If you are going to meet, let me know where and when and I will spread the word.
Why are you still reading this? Go to Emma’s Blog, Dear Mister Ratzinger: Letters from Ireland, you have reading and writing to do.
Off My Knees - A Blog by Michael Baumann 
I think Ireland needs to take back it’s country from the Roman Catholics.
They have done more damage to the precious people of the world who love the Lord.
They want power, which they have and money which they have and you have given it to them.
Give it back to them in the form of…staying away from mass but remembering your sweet Lord and Savior by holding your own bible readings and last supper at your homes where it all started.
These little groups of new believers came together to worship their Lord.
St. Paul warned them of the infilltraitors that were getting involved and were preaching a gospel other than what Jesus Christ taught. These people came to be the Roman Catholic Church.
If you read a good translation[not R C Bible] you will see that Jesus would never ask you to do the things that the Roman church has asked you to do.
Such as confession. That is absurd to think a man can take the place of true remorse to God Almighty. You are the ones who consecrate the bread and wine. The priests have no power that you don’t have, if you are a true believer.
They have hood winked you, they have generationally brainwashed you.
The Lord said,” I have not given you a spirit of Fear but of Power ,Love and a Sound Mind”.
Use your sound mind to know , you’ve been had by the DEVIL in sheeps clothing.
Get out while you still have your love of Christ. The kingdom of God is within. No one can take that away from you but you.
PS I am an ex Roman Catholic who was the greatest apologist for the church. I did everything I could to be thee best Catholic ever
Daily communicant, RCIA, CCD, Magnificat ministry, Euchristic minister.etc.,
My husband and I left the church in 2001. We did not wish to drive the get-a-way car in these CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY. It was on our 50th wedding anniversary that we knew God was saying. This is not necessary in your life anymore now that you know what has been going on for milleniums.
We are both 80 yrs old and have many children and grand and great grandchildren.
We love our lord and have the best relationship with HIM We read our bibles daily and have smallgroups of believers at our homes. It’s very satisfying.
PPSS we had five pedophiles at our church of ST. Maria Goretti in Scottsdale, Arizona. [Not all at the same time.] We now live in Colorado with our daughter.
No. He can’t read all those letters. Why don’t you storm your local hierarchies? Your local priests, your bishops?