Praia Da Luz Church

[pathfinder73]

It makes a lot of difference if they still had the keys when they rented that hire car.

[Cariad]

It makes a lot of difference if they still had the keys when they rented that hire car.

I believe that the keys were dropped off by someone else after they left Portugal. IIRC that upset the priest somewhat.

Father Pacheco appeared to virtually vanish from the public eye in the weeks after Gerry and Kate were made arguidos - or official suspects.
 
The pair left Portugal without saying goodbye and handed the church keys to another clergyman.

http://www.mccannfiles.com/id66.html

That quote is from the Daily Mail, how truthful or accurate it is, I wouldn't like to speculate.

....Edited to include link.........

[Mr Gray]

Praia da Luz priest denies reports in UK newspaper
Updated: 13-Dec-2007

By: CECÍLIA PIRES

cecilia@portugalresident.com

PRAIA DA Luz church is receiving the image of Our Lady of Fátima on Monday, December 18, in a special visit to the region and this is the reason why ribbons and images of Madeleine McCann have been temporarily removed from its interior, according to father José Manuel Pacheco, the local catholic priest .

Praia da Luz’s community “has not forgotten the little British girl and special prayers are still being held every Friday,” father José Manuel Pacheco told The Resident.

The catholic priest was reacting to reports in the UK’s Daily Express in which he is said to have “ordered the removal of scores of green and yellow ribbons which were put up as a symbol of hope in the days after Madeleine vanished”. The British newspaper quotes a “close friend to the priest” as saying that the latter “can’t even hear the Madeleine case mentioned without becoming irate.” A statement that father José Manuel Pacheco describes as “barbarity” and a “lie”. “I do not know who that ‘friend’ might be, but I doubt such person is my friend”, he told The Resident.

Father José Manuel Pacheco ensures that “priests have no power to order anything in our churches. We have an entity for that, which is the Conselho Pastoral, where the catholic community is represented”.

Church key

With regards to the key to Praia da Luz church that the McCanns were given after Madeleine went missing, so that the couple could pray in privacy, “that was a decision made by the Conselho Pastoral and I only knew about it three days later”.

Father José Manuel Pacheco said: “Madeleine McCann’s parents know that we support them and that is the most important thing. The family kept very close and good relations with the church and its representatives in Praia da Luz”.


http://www.algarveresident.com/23328-0/algarve/praia-da-luz-priest-denies-reports-in-uk-newspaper


This article contains actual quotes from the priest...one thing we have learnt is don't believe anything in papers unless there is a direct quote

[Luz]

I don't believe for a second that the inhabitants of the village were as meanspirited and unchristian as you suggest - in fact all the evidence showed the opposite and  they could not have been kinder and more sympathetic towards to the McCanns.

How nasty to even suggest the Portugese people could be so petty and heartless.

It was not a question of being meanspirited, but a question of having their church usurped for means that were kept secret from them. I am catholic because my parents baptized me, and I was raised with moral values that can be identified with Christian morality, but I am very hypocrite in how the Church is used to excuse immoral actions.

The Portuguese people were used immorally and when they started to perceive that, they revolted. Not one single portuguese person (I believe) wishes ill for Madeleine. In fact I believe that everyone would wish that Madeleine had been found sound and well immediately after the alarm. It was also many portuguese people in Aldeia da Luz and from many towns around that took weeks of their work to search for that child, when their parents chose to go on with their training habits and press conferences.

Even today, nothing would please more the portuguese people than finding Madeleine alive and well. But we know that is impossible and so, finding out what happened to her would be a blessing.

[carlymichelle]

It was not a question of being meanspirited, but a question of having their church usurped for means that were kept secret from them. I am catholic because my parents baptized me, and I was raised with moral values that can be identified with Christian morality, but I am very hypocrite in how the Church is used to excuse immoral actions.

The Portuguese people were used immorally and when they started to perceive that, they revolted. Not one single portuguese person (I believe) wishes ill for Madeleine. In fact I believe that everyone would wish that Madeleine had been found sound and well immediately after the alarm. It was also many portuguese people in Aldeia da Luz and from many towns around that took weeks of their work to search for that child, when their parents chose to go on with their training habits and press conferences.

Even today, nothing would please more the portuguese people than finding Madeleine alive and well. But we know that is impossible and so, finding out what happened to her would be a blessing.

oh luz didnt you know according to the mcanns and pros maddie is alive and unharmed???

[Benita]

oh luz didnt you know according to the mcanns and pros maddie is alive and unharmed???

huh!! do you know different carly ?

[Benice]

It was not a question of being meanspirited, but a question of having their church usurped for means that were kept secret from them. I am catholic because my parents baptized me, and I was raised with moral values that can be identified with Christian morality, but I am very hypocrite in how the Church is used to excuse immoral actions.

The Portuguese people were used immorally and when they started to perceive that, they revolted. Not one single portuguese person (I believe) wishes ill for Madeleine. In fact I believe that everyone would wish that Madeleine had been found sound and well immediately after the alarm. It was also many portuguese people in Aldeia da Luz and from many towns around that took weeks of their work to search for that child, when their parents chose to go on with their training habits and press conferences.

Even today, nothing would please more the portuguese people than finding Madeleine alive and well. But we know that is impossible and so, finding out what happened to her would be a blessing.

I have seen no evidence at all to say that anyone thought their church had been usurped.   If they did then that would mean they WERE petty and heartless - you can't have it both ways Luz.   I think your remarks are libellous to the Portuguese locals who could not have been kinder to the McCanns.

I see you can't resist having a dig at the parents.   Their press conferences as you call them were to appeal for help in finding their missing daughter.  Why would any decent person find that unacceptable?

So they took exercise -  so what?   Did you expect them to spend the rest of their lives indoors.     It's not as if they could have joined in with the  searching - they would have needed a police escort to protect them from the hundreds of reporters lying in wait for them.    The advice of the police to parents of missing children is always to stay at home and let the experts get on with the job, knowing that the parents are where they are most easy to contact if necessary. 

   

[pathfinder73]

You should try stand up and please keep them coming. No I don't believe Smithman walked into that church with Madeleine on the night that she went missing and stored her in a fridge. But I do believe she was in close proximity.

[Benita]

You should try stand up and please keep them coming. No I don't believe Smithman walked into that church with Madeleine on the night that she went missing and stored her in a fridge. But I do believe she was in close proximity.

really ..any proof of that ? can you back it up ?

[pathfinder73]

That's why they want eye witnesses who saw Smithman on the night in question to come forward so they can locate his movements and whereabouts. Smithman has never come forward. Kate McCann hasn't got Smithman as a main key sighting in her book. This is unbelievable! A main suspect seen carrying a child at the same time as Madeleine's disappearance. They ask for eye witnesses to come forward in her book and offer information but not for Smithman it seems!

[Benita]

That's why they want eye witnesses who saw Smithman on the night in question to come forward so they can locate his movements and whereabouts. Smithman has never come forward. Kate McCann hasn't got Smithman as a main key sighting in her book. This is unbelievable! A main suspect seen carrying a child at the same time of Madeleine's disappearance. They ask for eye witnesses to come forward in her book and offer information but not for Smithman it seems!

oh you read the book then well done ..that was quick >@@(*&)

[pathfinder73]

I told you in an earlier post that I read the amazon preview yesterday and I read the key sightings section. I was astounded there was no Smithman or even the name Smith in the index of the book.

[jassi]

That's why they want eye witnesses who saw Smithman on the night in question to come forward so they can locate his movements and whereabouts. Smithman has never come forward. Kate McCann hasn't got Smithman as a main key sighting in her book. This is unbelievable! A main suspect seen carrying a child at the same time of Madeleine's disappearance. They ask for eye witnesses to come forward in her book and offer information but not for Smithman it seems!

One must assume that Kate believed, for whatever reason, that Tannerman was the one and only sighting of the abductor and so she felt able to discount Smithman.
Now that that possibility has been discarded by none other then the SY investigation team, she can no longer believe this.

[pathfinder73]

Sorry to be blunt but that is BS! Any parent would include all possible main sightings as he could be the one. The time when this sighting happened is a dead giveaway to anyone!

[Luz]

I have seen no evidence at all to say that anyone thought their church had been usurped.   If they did then that would mean they WERE petty and heartless - you can't have it both ways Luz.   I think your remarks are libellous to the Portuguese locals who could not have been kinder to the McCanns.

I see you can't resist having a dig at the parents.   Their press conferences as you call them were to appeal for help in finding their missing daughter.  Why would any decent person find that unacceptable?

So they took exercise -  so what?   Did you expect them to spend the rest of their lives indoors.     It's not as if they could have joined in with the  searching - they would have needed a police escort to protect them from the hundreds of reporters lying in wait for them.    The advice of the police to parents of missing children is always to stay at home and let the experts get on with the job, knowing that the parents are where they are most easy to contact if necessary. 

 

It's you that place the parents in places where they shouldn't have been.

They took exercises, so what? They paraded in arranged schedules with only foreign newspapers and TVs, and so what? They had family and friends spending time in the Agarve, having spa sessions, suntan afternoons, tennis lessons, while the twins were still dumped at the creche(until hey had to be suspended due to excessive media attention to the other kids), and so what?

And you still ask SO WHAT?!!!!