For flock's sake

I hope they're still awake

The world's Catholic clergy have been advised by a Vatican archbishop to keep their homilies to eight minutes.  Good advice!  I shared this with a friend back home.  After last Sunday's vigil mass, my friend emailed me about what happened during the mass.  A parishioner beside her whispered in her ear as Father was sprucking on to say:
"I wish he would shut up as I want to go home." 
This was during the final story being given by Father at the end of mass which had already featured a 15 minute homily. 

I shared this story at mass next morning at the cathedral and they laughed.  I then shared it with a Thai priest I know quite well on Tuesday and he replied:
"That is strong language."  He did not laugh.

His response took me aback as he may be Thai but he is a Thai with a difference, being an international and very sophisticated personality. This told me that maybe those who laughed at the cathedral may have been only the foreigners while the Thais may not have understood nor seen the humour at all.  What I saw as funny in this simple story could quite easily be offensive to a Thai ear, or maybe to an Asian or ASEAN ear.

In this same week, we have had the news story of the Philippines President offending Obama with his public insult.  This is offensive behaviour but I discover through watching the news from Singapore that this is doubly offensive in ASEAN circles where leaders all bend over backwards to be ever so polite.  Duterte was not only rude and insulting but had broken a basic protocol of his own region, shocking his own peers with his yet another public outburst.

My response to the priest was that this is very Australian.  This does not mean that no one in this part of the world ever gets upset, angry or offends another.  They do.  It just is that they work so hard to keep a good front which is what is all important to them. Yes, they too can be harsh and cynical and somewhat comical about it all but what matters is front.