"And the winner is.................."
Yes, that sound means we have been betrayed and let down by so many people in whom we had placed our trust regarding the choice to elect Vincent Nichols as elect Archbishop of Westminster. The news was leaked last night, and was broke officially this morning, leaving fans of Vincent elated, and, (let’s call them) ‘non-supporters’ of him devastated and distraught by the decision.
I always felt like Vincent should change his name to Luke Warm. I think if any pet name could be attributed to Vin, it would be that, Luke Warm. No one can ever really say they have had any sort of run in with Vincent himself, because he is too cool for a run in, he is far too cool for that. His press secretary Peter Jennings on the other hand, has had so many run-ins with journalists it would be fair to say that between and other journalists and Jennings, there is actually less tension in the Middle East. But before Peter is put out to pasture he gave a few short sharp lashes of his over active tongue by laying into fellow journalist Jonathan Wynne-Jones that he was a 'total shit' for reporting the letters sent by two English bishops complaining that his boss Vin Nichols would be a divisive choice for Westminster. Obviously Peter Jennings hadn’t seen or heard any of the comments I had made on several blogs regarding Vincent as a choice for Westminster. If he had I imagine I would take ‘total shit’ as a compliment, possibly even a chat up line.
Vincent Nichols has come across in nearly everything I have ever seen or heard about him as a man who fights off his image as someone who struggles with priestly humility and opts for ambition. His rise in the Church has been regular and methodical, and I imagine (with very little need for imagination), that eventually he will become a Cardinal, thus making his journey in the Church a first class Virgin flight to easy street.
Don’t for one minute think I am unable to recognise what Vincent has to offer anywhere he is asked to go, he is, after all an incredibly able man, but it is his choices, that have shown him what he truly is, far more than his abilities. The liberal elves he has surrounded himself with has made flack taking a whole lot easier when things have gone wrong, so know doubt his report card is gleaming white, but he is never far from tree when a rather bad apple falls and rolls into the media spotlight.
Yet not for a second should we blame Vincent Nichols for his rise to level three on this video game. We should look towards the trendy inner circle that will have brushed under the carpet, the many dodgy statements and actions he has made in his time as Archbishop of Birmingham.
Two things strike me most about this whole incident, which after today I will never comment on again. Firstly, with Vincent Nichols about to take the big chair, we can expect the word ‘nice’ to come up regularly. A God who once had Mozart, Beethoven and Michelangelo on his side now has someone who will eventually reduce what little credibility the Church in this country to some sort of O.K sharing and tearing chirpy bright and most importantly NICE entity somewhat similar to Oscar Wilde’s opinion on dogs. Secondly, whoever (and I have a good idea) is to come to Birmingham, is clearly going to be worse, because if you can’t get the big things right, the smaller things are treated shoddily and with little effort or care.
All the speculation, rumour and discussion over Cardinal Cormac Murphy O’Connor’s successor has reduced this sorry affair into a soap opera, which has been watched by so many who were in fact hoping for some promise of change. I can say unequivocally that Vincent’s appointment to Westminster is a failure, because it has shown such a lack of imagination above everything else. Any dreams people had about someone with passion, fire, guts and imagination have been severely let down by this disappointing Luke Warm who is about to sit very comfortably indeed. It is so enraging to know that despite a desperate need for change and new blood in these angrily secular times, the big guns have fired with nothing more then a comedic joke flag fired that says BANG on it, in that cartoon like way. It seems little thought went into the last year in this pathetic unintelligent soap opera which real people have to live with in their real lives. The consequences of this decision was always going to be so complicated, so diverse, yet unlike any other situation, predicting the future is not a very difficult business indeed. Everything will continue to simmer and reduce in that Vincent like way, until it has all evaporated leaving nothing.
Good luck to Vincent, he wanted it so badly, and in the end, HE GOT IT.
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