The Rally in Support of Cardinal George Accomplished its Objective...

...which was to show the media that a broad constituency of archdiocese Catholicism is behind the prelate, understanding that mistakes have been made but giving him the benefit of the doubt, as well as the benefit of understanding and support. To all who attended on very short notice, my personal thanks. To the chairman, John McCartney, our great thanks and debt plus appreciation for his timely remarks. And thanks to the enthusiastic delegations: the St. John Cantius one (my home parish) which marched all the way to the Cathedral with signs, banners and significant red ribbons…as well as the many parishes that joined in. We particularly thank the dedicated Filipino Catholics who were mis-led by a bureaucratic Cathedral functionary who ordered them to go into the auditorium on the purported order of the Cathedral rector and the Cardinal, possibly even from the Pope in Rome. It was then that your humble servant vetoed the move, told the orderly that she should bug off and the rally would begin and end on the Cathedral steps. The rally drew television and radio and the major newspapers to the discomfiture of the officious and gruffly sniffing Cathedral orderly. The Cardinal’s televised response of gratitude made it all worth while.