The Strange Case of The Train Man

Under a bridge somewhere there lives a troll - the Train Man - who belches from his blog numerous cantankerous - some might say cancerous - accusations aimed at people and presbyters, bishops and bystanders. Train Man - because he applies his affection to model trains, which are pretty cool as far as toys go (...ask any kindergartner) - spares little charity for those to whom he applies his wrath.

A fair-minded reader of his blog could easily conclude that Train Man has a hate-on for the Ordinariate. As he coughs up one venomous hit-piece after another, ad nauseum one could add, he avoids the possibility that the development of the Personal Ordinariates is a gift of the Holy Spirit, a gift that folds perfectly acceptable liturgical and spiritual practices back into the Church as certain separated brethren bearing true gifts have been received into the Church.

Which leads the reasonable person to rhetorically ask: with Catholic friends like Train Man, who needs enemas?

Derailed

At best, Train Man expends considerable energy elevating secondhand knowledge to the level of first class relic. At worst, he perpetuates gossip, which makes his blog little more than a swamp of calumny.

Time-out for bad behaviour

None has born the brunt of Train Man's acidic charm more than Bishop Steven J. Lopes, Bishop Ordinary of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter. Rather than labeling posts to identify specific subjects or themes, many of Train Man's posts are merely labelled "Steven Lopes". Given the attached label is a personal name, it is difficult to imagine that the blog author intends anything less than an ad hominem attack against someone who hardly merits being battered in such an indiscriminate manner.

Like a tetchy terrier, Train Man latches on to the cassocks of Ordinariate Catholics, tugging and twisting until the fabric tears and his victims' reputations are unfairly tattered.

Train Man - or is that Troll Man? - is to be pitied more than reviled. He enjoys his conspiracy theories too much.

Train Man should not be surprised that his name has become synonymous with his demeaning approach to fraternal correction. As a figure of speech, 'Train Man' is, therefore, just another way of confirming what is wrong with the world.

Missing from Train Man's vocabulary is hope. If hope does exist in his writing, it is buried beneath a mountain of verbal diarrhea.