Holier Than Thou

Kate McCann: 'Pray like mad for Madeleine'

Madeleine McCann's mother has asked the community to "pray like mad" during a church service to mark the first anniversary of her daughter going missing.

By Patrick Sawer and Tom Chivers
4:39PM BST 03 May 2008

Mrs McCann also expressed her gratitude to the congregation during a 30-minute service at St Mary and St John church, near their home in Rothley, Lancashire, thanking them for their prayers and support.

She said that she and her husband Gerry would not have managed without their help.

She told the congregation to "keep praying, pray like mad" for the four-year-old.

Speaking after the service on behalf of the family, Madeleine's great uncle, Brian Kennedy, said: "We would like to thank all the members of the churches here in Rothley and also those who are of no particular church for joining us today to remember the world's missing children and especially, of course, our own Madeleine.


"This is a difficult week and we have had many kind messages from residents here and from around the country which have been a great help.


"We have invited people of all the many faiths here to pray for these children and their families in their own places of worship on the various days they keep and we would like them to know how much their prayers are appreciated."

The McCanns had initially planned to spend the day privately, but Mrs McCann, a devout Catholic, decided she wanted to attend the Church of England service.   [To be or not to be - that is the [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]]


The service comes as Portugal's most senior detective said police were still gathering evidence in their investigation into Madeleine's disappearance.

Alipio Ribeiro told the Portuguese new agency Lusa that officials had not yet decided whether to bring charges or drop the investigation.


"At this stage nothing has been determined regarding possible charges or closing the case," he said. "The Policia Judiciaria continues to gather and analyze all available evidence."


Today’s painful milestone follows several days of intensive press and television interviews by Kate and gerry McCann, who have mounted a 12-month global campaign to ensure Madeleine does not become just another statistic on the list of disappeared youngsters. The pair continue to lobby for a Europe wide alert system for missing children.

But there are signs they may now try to return to some kind of normality, if only for the sake of their other children, three-year-old twins Sean and Amelie.

“We take it day by day,” said Mr McCann, 39. “We will do what’s right for ourselves and the twins.”

Mrs McCann said: “It’s a difficult day, but ... you kind of think it’s just another day, really. I don’t think we’ll know until the morning what feels right.”


Friends and supporters of the McCann’s are planning to light candles, lights and lanterns around the country between 9.15pm and 10pm tonight - the time Kate and Gerry McCann say their daughter, just a few days shy of her fourth birthday, was abducted from their holiday apartment in the Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz.

The group Helping to Find Madeleine has urged people to “light the way home” for the her and already Everton Football Club has said it will shine its floodlights into the sky. Mrs McCann is an Everton supporter and one of the last photographs taken of her daughter showed her in the club’s blue shirt.

The 40-year-old GP said: “We think lighting a candle or lantern [support your local kill a dolphin day] is a lovely idea. We are very grateful to everyone who remembers Madeleine at this time.”

Mr McCann’s brother John and other relatives are travelling to Praia da Luz on the couple’s behalf, and will attend a vigil in the Algarve town’s Church of Our Lady of Light. Here photographs of Madeleine have been displayed near a candle which has been kept lit for almost a year. Mrs McCann has written a message for the congregation which will be read out by her brother.

Madeleine’s parents have not been back to Portugal since being made official suspects in her disappearance last September.
Meanwhile the Archbishop of York has written a prayer to mark Madeleine’s disappearance from the Ocean Club apartment, where she and the twins had been left for the evening by Mr and Mrs McCanns.

Dr John Sentamu says a daily prayer for Madeleine and keeps a candle burning next to a picture of her.


His prayer reads: “Father God, we pray for Madeleine McCann, keep her safe and take away her fear and anxiety.


“May your holy angels guard and protect her. We pray that she may be reunited with those who love her. Give hope to all her loved ones and hear our cry for her safe return.”

* The McCanns have appealed for anyone with evidence to call their private investigators on 0845 8384699.





In Madeleine McCann
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Twelve bible verses to overcome anger and resentment

   Control your temper.

When people mistreat us and there's nothing we can do about it, we get angry. It isn't fair. Parents see it in their young children who are constantly on the lookout to make sure everything is fair.

The gut reaction to get angry in the face of unfairness never really goes away. God's Word says that we are to control our tempers, even in the face of unfairness.


    Sensible people control their temper; they earn respect by overlooking wrongs. -Proverbs 19:11

Earn respect. What if the respect of men isn't what you're after?

    Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. -James 1:19-20

The righteousness God desires. Ouch. We may be able to brush off the respect of men, but the righteousness of God doesn't go away so easily.

    Do to others as you would like them to do to you. -Luke 6:31

When we overlook wrongs, we treat others the way we want to be treated. But what if the wrong is something really big? What if we can't just get over it?

We still have choices. If the wrong is something monumental – abuse, neglect, criminal – then DO SOMETHING. Don't just get angry, but take action. Enlist the help of someone who can stop it.

The reader who wrote to me has endured her situation for five months. Certainly, she has been slow to anger. But now, she is angry.

What next?

2. Don't let your anger control you. God recognizes that sometimes, we do get angry. Often, we need to get angry to remedy a situation or to spur us on to action.

    Don't sin by letting anger control you. Think about it overnight and remain silent. -Psalm 4:4

He is saying to think about your situation, and see if it merits getting angry.

Are you saying something like, “YES! It does! I have a right to be angry. Is that wrong?”

Being angry isn't a sin, but being controlled by anger is a sin.

    And don't sin by letting anger control you. Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil. -Ephesians 4:26-27

So you're angry. Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry. Find a way to work out the anger, pray through the anger, move past the anger before you give the devil an in-road to your psyche.

Need a pick-me-up? Go do something kind for someone. Volunteer your time. Do good, forgetting about the person who's made you angry for a while.

    Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper – it only leads to harm. -Psalm 37:8

All scriptures are God-breathed, right? Every word is true. So what of this? Stop being angry?! How do you just stop?

3. You pray. Pray for yourself. Pray for the person who is making you angry. Pray for the situation. Pray that your heart will be softened and you'll forgive.

People can't change people. Only God can change people.

Right now, you need to be changed, and the person who's hurt you needs to be changed. Give yourself permission to just focus on you for now. Ask God to change you and get rid of your anger despite the rotten situation you're in.

    But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.

    Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. -Colossians 3:8, 12-13

You are holy and beloved, my friend. You are, and you deserve better than what this anger and resentment are doing to you.

4. Forgive. I said these steps weren't going to be easy. Pray that you can forgive the person who's making you angry. Pray it every day, every hour, every minute if you have to.

    Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. -Ephesians 4:31-32

It's the Golden Rule again. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Treat the person who's made you angry with the same tenderhearted kindness that you treat your kids with.

I heard once that holding unforgiveness in your heart is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. Unforgiveness is toxic to your soul. It affects every part of your life, and it manifests in sickness, in tension, and in anger.

    Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven. -Luke 6:37

We are required to forgive as the Father has forgiven us. It is not optional – and it does not come easily.

5. Love. Forgiveness is one thing, but loving is another thing entirely. Loving your enemy – the very person who's hurt you – is also required by scripture.

Not suggested, required.

The very thought makes me feel sick for you.

You don't want to act in a loving way towards the person who's hurt you. Not at all.

That's where prayer comes in again. Pray that you'll have compassion and kindness for that person. (And keep praying it until it happens.)

    Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. -Luke 6:35

This passage goes on to say that even sinners are kind to those who love them, but it takes something special to be kind to an enemy.

You see, we don't get to have vengeance. It's not ours; it's God's alone. We are called to love God and love one another, the end.

    Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God.

    For the Scriptures say,
    “I will take revenge;
    I will pay them back,”
    says the Lord.

    Instead, If your enemies are hungry, feed them.
    If they are thirsty, give them something to drink.
    In doing this, you will heap
    burning coals of shame on their heads.

    Don't let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good. -Romans 12:17-21

You see, Jesus didn't just die for you, my righteous friend. He died for the person who's hurt you, too. He loves both of you the same. It doesn't seem fair (there's a parable about that), but it is so.
Jesus died for both of you because you're both sinners.

Different stories, different sins, same black marks.

    For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. -1 Thessalonians 5:9-1
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Kate McCann wrote:"I can forgive Madeleine's Abductor"

"He [Gonçalo Amaral] deserves to be miserable and feel fear."

"Under my breath, I found myself whispering, ‘Fucking tosser, fucking tosser.’ This quiet chant somehow kept me strong, kept me in control. This man did not deserve my respect. ‘Fucking tosser . . .’"

 

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The two staged pictures on the right always irritated me intensely.

The Hubbards

Before I faced the press, Anne-Marie and I went along, briefly, to a lunch in Lagoa to mark International Missing Children’s Day. A month before I’d never even heard of IMCD, which encourages people around the world to remember all missing children and their families and to express their solidarity with them. Now, of course, the date is engraved on my brain. We had been invited to this lunch by Susan, the wife of Haynes Hubbard, the new Anglican minister in Praia da Luz. The Hubbards had come to Portugal from Canada three days after Madeleine’s abduction and this was the first time I had met Susan. She was to become a very close friend and has been a real support to me ever since.
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 João told us he would come and meet us at 3pm near the police station, to avoid the media – we wouldn’t be going to the British Consulate this time. On our way to Portimão we dropped Auntie Janet, Sean and Amelie at the home of Susan and Haynes Hubbard.
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We drove first to the Hubbards’ to collect Sean, Amelie and my aunt. When we calmed down a little and told them what had happened, we were presented with several shocked faces. Susan suggested I went and had a bath as I was still pretty shaky. In her bathroom I leaned over the washbasin and peered into the mirror. My eyes were narrow slits in fat, purple lids. My blotchy face seemed to be ageing by the day. Where are you, Madeleine? What is happening? What’s going to become of us all?
..........

At 11am, Gerry and I walked down to the little church we loved so much, where Susan and Haynes Hubbard and Auntie Janet, with the help of many others, had organized a One Hundred Days of Hope service for Madeleine and missing children everywhere.
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Later we were invited to Susan and Haynes Hubbard’s house. It was as relaxing and enjoyable an afternoon as was possible right then.
..........

Susan and Haynes were, and remain, such a great source of strength. Sometimes you wonder whether particular people are brought into your life at a particular time for a reason. It certainly seemed to me that the Hubbards were a gift from God.
..........

I was very tired and desperate to see my children, who had been taken by Trisha to Susan Hubbard’s house. Justine drove me there, tailed all the way by the Portuguese press.
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The next morning we packed our last bits and pieces and said a tearful farewell to Susan Hubbard before rousing Sean and Amelie.

Jill Havern wrote:A cynic said:
"They can't have been that religious, or God would have answered their prayers !"

Apparently God's a bit of a tester.

(Sorry Tony).

Jill Havern wrote:A cynic said:
"They can't have been that religious, or God would have answered their prayers !"

Maybe he has - they're still roaming free aren't they ?

This in my view is one of the strangest witness statements ever..

Witness statement of Peter Neal Patterson (family friend) - 8th May 2008:  Occupation:  Attorney/Solicitor

I am the above referenced person and live at the address previously provided to the police.

I was questioned by DC Ferguson and by DC Messiah of the Leicestershire Police at the request of the Portuguese police whose charge is to investigate the disappearance of Madeleine.

As regards the questions, I can offer the following information:

I became known Kate and Gerry since 2002. My wife (Bridget) and Kate both trained in general medicine and have become good friends. We have also learnt that Kate attended the same university we did in Dundee even though she was not there when we attended. My wife faced some clinical problems (a miscarriage and an ectopic/tubal pregnancy). We discovered after that Kate and Gerry were also having problems conceiving. This brought Bridget and Kate even closer. This occurred in mid-2002. I believe that we tried to get pregnant five years ago. Suddenly Kate became pregnant with Madeleine and my wife and I had our first child, a boy, who was born after Madeleine's birth. Later Kate again became pregnant with Sean and Amelie. Our youngest son was born nine months ago today.

My wife maintains regular contact with Kate and as a result we visited them once in Queniborough. We have yet to visit their home in Rothley. I saw Madeleine for the last time on my sons birthday, the 1st of September of 2006. The friendship between Kate and Bridget is focused on themselves and the children. I have met Gerry and know him well enough to maintain a casual conversation.

Madeleine disappeared on Thursday night of the 03rd of May 2007. Normally I have a habit of listening to the news every morning but on Friday, the 04th of May 2007, I have an early morning meeting and for this reason did not see the news. After the meeting I received a text message from my wife informing me of Madeleine's disappearance. The rest of the week was spent listening to the news, and trying to prevent my son from recognising Madeleine as he has asked what was going on.
My wife and I decided to travel to Portugal. We caught a flight to faro on Tuesday, the 08th of may 2007. We did this in the hopes of offering our help and support and to do something other than just sit at home watching from afar. My wife sent a text message to Kate telling her of our flight. We reached Praia da Luz around 11 or 11:30 that morning.

I caught a ride from the airport to Praia da Luz with someone I knew. There were two receptions in the resort. I asked the functionaries about helping out with the volunteer searches and they told me to head to the hotels principal reception where people would come together every morning. The group that day had already departed and for this reason I caught a taxi to Lagos to try and find a place to stay.

I was at a slight advantage relative to other Brits because I have a slight understanding of the different laws in Portugal. Most people do not understand the difference between the adversarial system of justice in the U.K. and the inquisitorial systems of Europe.

I met Kate and Gerry on Friday after having made contact with them via written messages during the week. They knew I was participating in the searches that week. I felt dispirited because there appeared to be no coordination or leadership to the searches. Many people went searching without adequate local equipment, like for example people were cutting their feet on the rough terrain or on the shrubs in those locales. Many people wore sandal and walked over tough land. I never saw any police involvement in the operations carried out by civilians.

On Friday the 11th of May 2007 we heard rumours that the Portuguese were going to stop the searches. After having passed this information to Kate we met up in the Tapas bar in the resort between 9:30 and 9:45 in the morning. We met for only a half hour to 40 minutes as Kate had to attend a police interview.

During this meeting, I offered Kate a bible. This happened in the sequence of emotions that Kate was obviously feeling and after our having sat down to speak. We did not know each other well as she is predominantly my wifes friend. I am the leader of a South Wigston team run out of the Corporation for Exercise and Salvation, Leicestershire. I have a particular interest in the bible and the form in which it was written. I frequented the course ?Alpha Course? (an introduction to Christianity) a recommended to Kate some of the passages in the bible that she could rand to help comfort. There was a dedication from me to my wife on the first page, as it had previously been a gift from me to her. I have a tendency to mark pages and passages in the bible and even though this was my spouses bible, there were many marked/tagged passages relevant to the both of us. This happened before Madeleines disappearance.

I encouraged Kate to read Psalms X and XX of the Old Testament as I felt these were relevant to her. They are both believers. The Psalms reveal a confidence in God, in his justice and in the question which can be asked ?Why do bad things happen?. Psalms XX is a small oration asking Him to guide and illuminate our path in times of anguish.

The passage which is marked in my wifes bible I believe is Samuel 2:12. This passage is very significant for me and my wife but likely has so significance for Kate. I interpret this passage as saying that even though we cannot be with the two children that we have no lost, we will find them one day.

After meeting with Kate, I returned to Lagos and caught a taxi to Portimao where I had previously (May 2003) visited a Christian bookstore. I went with the purpose to acquire a new bible to help me through the rest of the week. Unfortunately, I did not find the bookstore.

Kate asked me to pray at the Marina, which I did, a number of times during the week. I returned home on Sunday, 13th of May, 2007, leaving from Faro at 9:30.

This testimony was made by me and is the truth in accordance with my understanding.
....................

Unless it was purely intended to explain why Kate McCann was in possession of a bible, with specific passages dog-eared for reference - otherwise it's just bizarre.

This takes bible bashing to a whole new level .

Madeleine parents to see the Pope

27th May 2007

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The McCanns say they have drawn strength from their twins

The parents of four-year-old Madeleine McCann are set to visit the Pope to discuss the plight of their daughter, who vanished 24 days ago.

Gerry and Kate McCann are expected to attend a general audience at the Vatican on Wednesday.

Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor is helping arrange for the McCanns' visit.

Meanwhile, Portuguese police have received hundreds of calls after they released a description of a man seen near the McCanns' holiday flat.

A spokesperson for Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor said: "The cardinal is conscious of the prayers of the entire Catholic community in this country for the McCann family at this distressing time.

"Having spoken to Dr Gerry McCann, the cardinal is facilitating the presence of the McCanns at an audience with the Holy Father as soon as is feasible.

"The cardinal also assured Dr McCann of his prayers for the safe release of Madeleine and for the rest of the family."

'Vague'

Portuguese police said they released the description of the man seen on the night Madeleine was taken from her family's apartment in the Algarve resort of Praia da Luz, to eliminate false leads.

He is described as white, 5ft 10ins, medium build with short hair.

It is understood the description came from a friend of the McCanns who saw a man who may have been carrying a child on the night Madeleine disappeared.

But Briton Robert Murat, the only official suspect in the case, has criticised the description for being too vague to rule him out.

Mr Murat said: "It isn't me. But the description is so vague that it won't put me out of the picture."

"I hope that I will soon be in a position to clear my name."

He denies any involvement in Madeleine's disappearance on the night of 3 May.

Mr Murat has been questioned by police but has not been charged.

'Terrifying moment'

Mrs McCann told how she and her husband cannot now bear to be parted from their two-year-old twins Sean and Amelie at night now and sleep with them in their bed.

Mrs McCann said: "They help us to get through this. We are a strong family and they were so close to Madeleine, only 20 months apart."

Mrs McCann, 38, described how the couple had struggled to have children and had waited five years for a baby.

When Madeleine arrived she was "absolutely everything" to them, she said.

Describing the "terrifying" moment Madeleine had been taken, she said: "You just don't expect in a million years that this could happen."

But Mr McCann said he still "truly believed" his daughter was alive.

A fund set up to help find her and highlight the issue of missing children, has now raised more than £320,000.

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Meanwhile, Portuguese police have received hundreds of calls after they released a description of a man seen near the McCanns' holiday flat.

Murphy-O’Connor admits shame over 1980s sex abuse case

Former Archbishop of Westminster says he would act differently over paedophile priest

22nd May, 2015

Former Archbishop of Westminster Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor has admitted he is deeply ashamed of the way he handled sex abuse allegations concerning a Catholic Church priest in the 1980s.

Cardinal Murphy-O’Connor told a festival crowd how, as the Bishop of Arundel and Brighton, he allowed priest Michael Hill to become the chaplain of Gatwick Airport despite Hill confessing to him that he had abused young boys.

The cleric (82) said he sent Hill for therapy before moving him to a new parish after being given assurances he would have no contact with children.

However, while at his new airport post, Hill went on to sexually assault a young man with learning difficulties who had missed a flight. Hill was jailed in 1997 for a string of attacks and then again for another five years in 2002 after disclosing fresh abuse during a sex offender treatment programme.

Speaking at the Hay Festival in south Wales, Cardinal Murphy-O’Connor said he would have done things differently now.

He said: “I’d like to say something I wouldn’t have said 20 or 30 years ago – think first of the victims and how important it is to listen to them and their story, the anger and the pain.

“I knew child abuse was wrong and removed him from the parish.

“Now, under the new regulations, he would go to the social services and the police automatically.

“But I don’t think we were aware of the addictive nature of paedophilia and the terrible damage that’s done to the victims. Now I know much more about that.”

Cardinal Murphy-O’Connor made the remarks while taking part in a Q&A session with former Independent editor and BBC Radio 4 presenter Rosie Boycott.

He denied that the way he acted following Hill’s confession was tantamount to a cover-up and aimed to “put the good name of the church” before victims or justice.

“I can’t remember thinking about protecting the good name of the church,” he replied. “I thought ‘this man is damaging children’ – so I moved him out and put him into a therapy centre.

“To my shame, when he came back to see me a month later he begged on his knees. I looked at the reports and one of them said he mustn’t go into a parish with children.

“I made the grave mistake of sending him to Gatwick Airport and . . . he did abuse again.”

Cardinal Murphy-O’Connor said the whole affair had been a big “learning curve for him”. He said: “What we need to do now is that if there is any allegation of child abuse then it goes straight to the police.

“And not just in the Catholic Church . . . there has got to be a culture of safeguarding.”

On the matter of Ireland’s referendum on same-sex marriage, the Reading-born cardinal said he hoped the country would vote no.

“Marriage has always been part of a language between man and woman and family and children and community.

“Gay couples may also say [it is the same] but I don’t think it is.

“The heart of the structure in our country is the family. The more family breaks down in different ways, the less we have of a healthy community.

“The greatest evil, in my view, is the breakdown of family life in our country.” – (PA)

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Pope Francis condemns child sex abuse and Church cover-ups

2 hours ago

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Verdi wrote:Pope Francis condemns child sex abuse and Church cover-ups

2 hours ago

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In the inimitable words of Mandy Rice-Davies!  "Well, he would wouldn't he?"

Verdi wrote:Pope Francis condemns child sex abuse and Church cover-ups

2 hours ago

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Was it 1992,when Sinead O'Connor raised the child abuse by ripping up a picture of the Pope,Miss O'Connor was then maliciously attacked by the MSM,often being incited to"Where is the Proof" that the abuse had in fact taken place for decades?

Miss O'Connor and her relationship with her Mum,were portrayed as "Mental Health illness",yes that maybe True,but it does not make the child abuse untrue,does it!

Different Continents World wide were the Catholic Faith was followed are now finally admitting what may have happened on child abuse,which is quite different from what the UK Authorities are admitting to,the "Proverbial One rotten apple syndrome" after decades of Covering up the Abuse,the mantra,it never happened where's your proof,people had the proof,but the "Establishment" stole it from News Paper Editors,Journalists,they are not all dead yet,they still have memories of what you done?

Dear God.

I’m finding it really difficult to believe you’re there at the moment. The more our suffering and pain continues and the more we are tested, the more I find myself doubting your presence, which is really scary.

Without you, we have nothing; certainly nothing more than a slight chance so it’s almost impossible to give up on you.

Please God, if you can’t bring Madeleine back imminently, please give us a sign, something positive.

Kate McCann

Verdi wrote:Dear God.

I’m finding it really difficult to believe you’re there at the moment. The more our suffering and pain continues and the more we are tested, the more I find myself doubting your presence, which is really scary.

Without you, we have nothing; certainly nothing more than a slight chance so it’s almost impossible to give up on you.

Please God, if you can’t bring Madeleine back imminently, please give us a sign, something positive.

Kate McCann

Peter Hyatt would rip this to shreds. Even my untrained eye can see the glaringly obvious 'Please god' sentence is an admission that she knows it's impossible she's coming back.
And I doubt the veracity of their faith, which was almost certainly contrived to garner support (and gain access to the chapel?).

Sundance wrote:

Verdi wrote:Dear God.

I’m finding it really difficult to believe you’re there at the moment. The more our suffering and pain continues and the more we are tested, the more I find myself doubting your presence, which is really scary.

Without you, we have nothing; certainly nothing more than a slight chance so it’s almost impossible to give up on you.

Please God, if you can’t bring Madeleine back imminently, please give us a sign, something positive.

Kate McCann

Peter Hyatt would rip this to shreds. Even my untrained eye can see the glaringly obvious 'Please god' sentence is an admission that she knows it's impossible she's coming back.
And I doubt the veracity of their faith, which was almost certainly contrived to garner support (and gain access to the chapel?).

With my untrained but nonetheless perceptive eye, I see it as a load of old rubbish.  Still, that's statement analysis for you - individual interpretation !  

Meanwhile back in land..

Kate McCann's parents, Brian and Susan Healy, gave their first televised interview to Spanish TV channel, Antena3 on the 'SA Confidential Talk Show' - broadcast on 22nd October 2007..

Susan Healy:  "Kate phoned me, errm… about an hour after Gerry and asked me to get in touch with, errm… Paul Seddon, who is the priest, Father Seddon, who married her, who baptised Madeleine, errm… and I didn't have his mobile phone so I rang a friend of Kate's and got… got him and he rang Kate right away and I think as soon as this happened, as soon as Kate realised what had happened, it was as if, errm.. she started to ask God right away to give her Madeleine.

Errm… because Kate and Gerry were not the most devout family. We do have Catholic faith, errm… it's… it's the religion that we were brought up in, but I would never describe myself as a devout person. We're just ordinary people, errm… but Kate certainly has… has clung to her religion, errm.. since this happened. Possibly she feels that, you know, it has to be a greater thing that helps us to get Madeleine back. Errm… something with more power than… than we have."

 like mad !!!

Pope was so gentle and so sincere

DEVOUT Catholic Kate's nerves were on edge as she and Gerry prepared to meet the Pope at the Vatican on May 30.
On May 28 she wrote: 'I felt somewhat concerned. This is going to be a little too much, I only want Madeleine back and to return to our normal life.'

Two days later her diary recalls: 'Pope Benedict XVI arrived in his 'pope mobile' waving to everyone. It immediately became clear that he recognised us. He took hold of our hands and he was so gentle, so sincere.

'I thanked him for having allowed us to be there with him. He said he would pray for us and that he would continue to pray for Madeleine and for her safe return. I gave him the photo of Madeleine' he blessed it (with the thumb)' something that we would be able to keep for ever. A shy man but very friendly.

'Very emotional, very positive, very important' charming.

'Please, God, bring back to us little Madeleine. We love her so much and we miss her so much. Please Lord, help us to be united once again shortly as a family.

'Later on, Clarence (Foreign Office family liaison) told me that, before that (meeting the Pope), a butterfly had flown above and had landed on the bow on my hair.

'Following on, it left, but it came back and landed on my lapel. An omen, we hope.'

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Why not just ask his holiness to ask god whether she was actually dead or not, with his constant communication with him and everything?
And the butterfly?  

Gerry McCann Radio 4 Interview - 29/09/2018

And... I remember being slumped, (sigh) on the floor, and starting to call. Some of my family members. And um, just saying: "Pray for her". Because I thought that was the only thing that might help at that point.

See, I've been brought up Catholic, and um, wasn't particularly religious (laugh) but that was my (laugh) reaction. And, at that point I certainly wanted to believe there was a God and hope that... it would help.
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But, you know, how we responded I think was very different after the first 36 or 48 hours whatever it was. Almost like a switch clicked for me? It took Kate much, much longer to get into that mode.

It's quite hard to describe because it-it was, it felt transformative and we had gone down to the church quite a bit. I suppose now you know, I was- we probably call it mindfulness, I was just 'no distraction' and I was thinking, and I had the closest thing (laugh) I'm sure that I've ever had to a vision but I-I felt like we were in a tunnel and it was really dark, and that's what it felt like. But on this particular day, I could just see that the tunnel had a- an ending, and there was light, and then the light was getting bigger and brighter, and that to me was like a symbol that we could do things that would make our-our goal, of finding Madeleine more achievable.
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We had a tremendous amount of support from the community, and... I-I did pray a lot, especially in the first months.
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The church is shared between the Catholics and the Church of England and um, I can't remember who gave her the key but, I think one of the-the key moments was I think the first Sunday mass was Mothering Sunday that we went to? And we were down the front, and every woman in the-the congregation came up, and held our hands and said: "Strength - esperança". And that... made me feel stronger. Having that level of support.
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My (huh) spirituality has waxed and waned throughout my whole life? But I suppose... has always been there to some extent in the background? And Kate and I are both Catholic.

We had a-a quite earnest discussion about whether or not we would bring Madeleine up Catholic, although I-I was not as you might say devout, certainly far from it, but, we made a decision that it- we felt it's a really good... principles to guide our own lives and um, that we thought it would be a good thing to do, so we made a conscious decision, so we b- we became a bit more involved in the church again.

We chose to have her baptised there in Liverpool.
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(sigh) I think that's back to what I was really saying, though: mine's has always waxed and waned. I say Kate's hasn't but mine's has and, yeah, I've found it harder with all those millions and millions of prayers to accept that that's had an influence. Or hasn't had a better outcome, with so many people praying, and I find that very difficult to accept.
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I certainly did believe in Heaven. Right now? (laughs) But, I do almost think that, again it's almost like an instinctive reaction. I feel... and it's just a feeling - I feel we will be reunited. At some point.
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