Fr. George W. Rutler: The Strange Case of Dr. Biden and Mr. Hyde

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Former Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden speaks at a rally with members of a painters and construction union, Tuesday, May 7, 2019, in Henderson, Nev. (AP Photo/John Locher)

By Fr. George W. Rutler, Crisis Magazine, June 12, 2019

Fr. George W. RutlerBishop Miler Magrath (Maolmhuire Mag Raith) of Ireland (1523-1622) wrote his own epitaph for the tomb in Cashel in which he was finally laid in his one hundredth year.  The syntax is convoluted as was his life: “Here where I am placed I am not. I am not where I am not. Nor am I in both places, but I am in each.” It was his way of recalling that he managed to be a Catholic bishop and a Protestant bishop at the same time. He started out as a Franciscan friar, schooled in Rome, and soon became bishop of Down and Connor, then Clogher before Cashel, exacting rents from all of them, and adding Waterford, Lismore, Killala and Achonry to his sees, becoming rich, although his cathedral in Cashel was said to be a pigsty, and few of his people were aware of the existence of God. While maintaining many Franciscan ties, albeit wearing armor as protection against sullen rent payers, he authorized the hunting down of Papist priests while also warning them ahead of time, as a sort of double agent. Amy O’Meara of Toomevara married him, but devoutly refused to eat meat on Fridays and reared their nine children as Catholics. Pope Gregory VIII finally excommunicated him, but Paul V legitimized his children….Read entire artice: crisismagazine.com/2019/the-strange-case-of-dr-biden-and-mr-hyde