“You Asked Me About My Opinion So I Will Tell You” – Deacon Nick Donnelly speaks about his Catholic …
Deacon Nick Donnelly has spoken with Gloria.tv about his new book A Catholic Survival Guide for Times of Emergency. The interview was conducted by Father Reto Nay. Mister Deacon, in July TAN Books …More
Deacon Nick Donnelly has spoken with Gloria.tv about his new book A Catholic Survival Guide for Times of Emergency. The interview was conducted by Father Reto Nay.
Mister Deacon, in July TAN Books published your new book A Catholic Survival Guide for Times of Emergency. Isn’t the term “survival” a bit dramatic?
I don’t think so. I wanted to provide a tool that contains the doctrines and devotions for times when the Church goes offline and the faithful are left on their own. The Survival Guide will help them to face personal crises and national emergencies with the treasures which God always meant us to have. Therefore, I don’t think the term “survival” is an exaggeration because it is about the salvation of our soul.
Did the coronavirus make you fear for your life?
Yes, it did, and this was a very personal fear. Let me explain: What has made the coronavirus pandemic so frightening is facing the possibility of dying without the sacraments. As I watched the news of churches being closed …More
Mister Deacon, in July TAN Books published your new book A Catholic Survival Guide for Times of Emergency. Isn’t the term “survival” a bit dramatic?
I don’t think so. I wanted to provide a tool that contains the doctrines and devotions for times when the Church goes offline and the faithful are left on their own. The Survival Guide will help them to face personal crises and national emergencies with the treasures which God always meant us to have. Therefore, I don’t think the term “survival” is an exaggeration because it is about the salvation of our soul.
Did the coronavirus make you fear for your life?
Yes, it did, and this was a very personal fear. Let me explain: What has made the coronavirus pandemic so frightening is facing the possibility of dying without the sacraments. As I watched the news of churches being closed …More
- Report
Social media
Change post
Remove post
Ultraviolet
- Report
Change comment
Remove comment
Deacon Donnelly's aims are certainly laudable. Personally, I'd like to echo Don Reto's question with a slightly different emphasis. How is this "Survival Guide" an improvement on the literally dozens of Pre Vatican II prayer books that already contain huge collections of Catholic prayers, devotions, novenas, etc.?
Also, let's remember some devotions are impossible to complete if Churches remain …More
Deacon Donnelly's aims are certainly laudable. Personally, I'd like to echo Don Reto's question with a slightly different emphasis. How is this "Survival Guide" an improvement on the literally dozens of Pre Vatican II prayer books that already contain huge collections of Catholic prayers, devotions, novenas, etc.?
Also, let's remember some devotions are impossible to complete if Churches remain closed. How can a person fulfill the First Friday Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the First Saturday Devotion to the Immaculate Heart Of Mary
without communion and, in the latter devotion, confession as well?
IMO, Deacon Donnelly is being a bit overdramatic. "What has made the coronavirus pandemic so frightening is facing the possibility of dying without the sacraments."
Each of us face that possibility literally every waking day of our lives, even before "the coronavirus pandemic". Nothing's changed. Most of us don't have a priest constantly standing next to us ready to administer the last rites. Accidents happen. Catastrophic medical emergencies happen. Life happens.
Also, let's not allow history to get re-written just yet. It wasn't the "coronavirus pandemic" that shuttered the churches. It wasn't the "coronavirus pandemic" that explicitly forbade priests to visit the dying in their last hour. It was the gutless, spineless, secularist bishops within the Church. The Catholic Church has weathered plagues that entirely eclipse all things "Covid". Masses were still said. Communion was still given, even to those who were obviously contagiously sick. The Church survived and triumphed because its leaders "at that time" were men of faith, not bureaucrats.
"This means that at the time of their death, loved ones can benefit from the merits of our prayers and be enveloped in divine mercy, if they choose to accept it and repent."
Doesn't the act of death end a person's ability to accept mercy and repent? How does "vicarious prayer" change that? Can we get some official Catechism on this?
"A chapter of my book explains how we can assist our loved ones, family members and friends, if they die on their own."
How about a synopsis? Suppose your Uncle Jimmy dies in mortal sin. How do your "vicarious prayers" or anything else circumvent the state of his soul or alter God's judgement?
*glares suspciously at the book* Who gave the imprimatur?
"How can we 'die well'?"
Blade in hand, fighting the Church's enemies, forcing them to trip and stumble over the corpses of their own dead.
"Then Jesus saith to him: Put up again thy sword into its place: for all that take the sword shall perish with the sword." (Matthew 26:52)
...and I ask, Lord, why do you say that like it's a bad thing?
"Do you list the five temptations in your book?"
So does Wikipedia and Wiki's free. It covers The Ars moriendi ("The Art of Dying") quite exentensively.
Loads of links at the bottom to some truly wonderfully Gothic woodcuts covering the Five Temptations as only morbidly Medieval minds could envision them.
"You asked me about my opinion so I will tell you: I believe that it (the worldwide shutdown of the Church) is the judgement of God against the infidelity of His people."
Well, Don Reto did ask. Fair enough. Personally, I don't like blaming God for what is manifestly human evil and stupidity, notably that inflicted by the Church's current leadership. But that's just me and I didn't get a survival guide published by TAN books.
" Our generation, of all the generations before us, deserves this divine chastisement."
Go tell that to the families of devout Catholics who were forced to let their elderly loved ones die without the Last Rites. Go Tell them how sweet Aunt Edna, after a lifetime of daily rosaries, regular Mass attendance, prayer, charity, and goodwill, now "deserves this divine chastisement".
"There are many wrong beliefs around."
The author's included. ;-)
"A worse chastisement will follow. "
Self-fulfilling prophecy in light of what Revelations predicts. ;-)
Also, let's remember some devotions are impossible to complete if Churches remain closed. How can a person fulfill the First Friday Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the First Saturday Devotion to the Immaculate Heart Of Mary
without communion and, in the latter devotion, confession as well?
IMO, Deacon Donnelly is being a bit overdramatic. "What has made the coronavirus pandemic so frightening is facing the possibility of dying without the sacraments."
Each of us face that possibility literally every waking day of our lives, even before "the coronavirus pandemic". Nothing's changed. Most of us don't have a priest constantly standing next to us ready to administer the last rites. Accidents happen. Catastrophic medical emergencies happen. Life happens.
Also, let's not allow history to get re-written just yet. It wasn't the "coronavirus pandemic" that shuttered the churches. It wasn't the "coronavirus pandemic" that explicitly forbade priests to visit the dying in their last hour. It was the gutless, spineless, secularist bishops within the Church. The Catholic Church has weathered plagues that entirely eclipse all things "Covid". Masses were still said. Communion was still given, even to those who were obviously contagiously sick. The Church survived and triumphed because its leaders "at that time" were men of faith, not bureaucrats.
"This means that at the time of their death, loved ones can benefit from the merits of our prayers and be enveloped in divine mercy, if they choose to accept it and repent."
Doesn't the act of death end a person's ability to accept mercy and repent? How does "vicarious prayer" change that? Can we get some official Catechism on this?
"A chapter of my book explains how we can assist our loved ones, family members and friends, if they die on their own."
How about a synopsis? Suppose your Uncle Jimmy dies in mortal sin. How do your "vicarious prayers" or anything else circumvent the state of his soul or alter God's judgement?
*glares suspciously at the book* Who gave the imprimatur?
"How can we 'die well'?"
Blade in hand, fighting the Church's enemies, forcing them to trip and stumble over the corpses of their own dead.
"Then Jesus saith to him: Put up again thy sword into its place: for all that take the sword shall perish with the sword." (Matthew 26:52)
...and I ask, Lord, why do you say that like it's a bad thing?
"Do you list the five temptations in your book?"
So does Wikipedia and Wiki's free. It covers The Ars moriendi ("The Art of Dying") quite exentensively.
Loads of links at the bottom to some truly wonderfully Gothic woodcuts covering the Five Temptations as only morbidly Medieval minds could envision them.
"You asked me about my opinion so I will tell you: I believe that it (the worldwide shutdown of the Church) is the judgement of God against the infidelity of His people."
Well, Don Reto did ask. Fair enough. Personally, I don't like blaming God for what is manifestly human evil and stupidity, notably that inflicted by the Church's current leadership. But that's just me and I didn't get a survival guide published by TAN books.
" Our generation, of all the generations before us, deserves this divine chastisement."
Go tell that to the families of devout Catholics who were forced to let their elderly loved ones die without the Last Rites. Go Tell them how sweet Aunt Edna, after a lifetime of daily rosaries, regular Mass attendance, prayer, charity, and goodwill, now "deserves this divine chastisement".
"There are many wrong beliefs around."
The author's included. ;-)
"A worse chastisement will follow. "
Self-fulfilling prophecy in light of what Revelations predicts. ;-)
Deacon Nick Donnelly
- Report
Change comment
Remove comment
My book was originally inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic, but as the interview indicates expanded as a Catholic response to emergencies in general, such as accidents, catastrophic illnesses. As you say, we all live with the possibility of dying without the sacraments. In my book I attempt to show the inextricable link between specific doctrines and their associated devotions. My own experience has …More
My book was originally inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic, but as the interview indicates expanded as a Catholic response to emergencies in general, such as accidents, catastrophic illnesses. As you say, we all live with the possibility of dying without the sacraments. In my book I attempt to show the inextricable link between specific doctrines and their associated devotions. My own experience has shown me that the traditional explication of doctrine is life-changing and life-enriching. In this way my book is different to a manual of devotions.
Ultraviolet
- Report
Change comment
Remove comment
I suppose your book will have value for those who will find benefit in the descriptions of your experiences.
There certainly is a market for that kind of book, not only on religious subjects but even outside it.
There's an entire sub-genre of wilderness safety books that focuses on first-hand accounts on bear attacks. The books do quite well. Technically minded readers prefer the textbook approach …More
I suppose your book will have value for those who will find benefit in the descriptions of your experiences.
There certainly is a market for that kind of book, not only on religious subjects but even outside it.
There's an entire sub-genre of wilderness safety books that focuses on first-hand accounts on bear attacks. The books do quite well. Technically minded readers prefer the textbook approach and, unsurprisingly, a "dry" devotional is more to their liking.
There certainly is a market for that kind of book, not only on religious subjects but even outside it.
There's an entire sub-genre of wilderness safety books that focuses on first-hand accounts on bear attacks. The books do quite well. Technically minded readers prefer the textbook approach and, unsurprisingly, a "dry" devotional is more to their liking.
Cuthbert Mayne
- Report
Change comment
Remove comment
Excellent interview. Great questions. Gives an idea of who this man is.
