Evangelical pastor with a thirst for publicity
FOR months, the parents of desperately ill Charlie Gard have been at his hospital bedside hoping beyond hope for a miracle. Now, a controversial figure has joined them from across the Atlantic, bringing with him an evangelical zeal which seems to know no bounds – not to mention a philosophy he has summed up thus: ‘Fasten your seat belts baby, it’s going to be a wild ride.’
Step forward the radical Reverend Patrick Mahoney, a 63-year-old ordained minister in the Reformed Presbyterian Church and self- styled ‘Christian social, political and human-rights activist’ who has been arrested more than once for protesting over the issues he feels most passionate about.
The married father of three describes himself as an ‘outspoken prophetic voice for ending the violence of abortion’.
In 1992, Rev Mahoney, along with three other anti-abortion campaigners, was sentenced to up to six months in jail for violating a restraining order prohibiting him from demonstrating in front of an abortion clinic in Houston, Texas, though it is unclear whether he spent time behind bars.
His readiness to defy authority attracted international attention when he was arrested twice in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square for leading protests for religious freedom and human rights during the 2008 Olympics in China. Now, in an astonishing twist to the story that’s divided the world, he appears to be the Gard family’s new spokesman.
For his latest mission, Rev Mahoney jetted in to England from his native United States last Thursday on a ‘faith journey’, as he put it, to lead a campaign ‘to save Charlie’s life’ after setting up a fundraising website to pay for the trip.
He wanted to pray next to Charlie and his parents Chris Gard and Connie Yates, but the hospital was, at first, resistant because of ‘security reasons’ and would not let him into Charlie’s room, according to Rev Mahoney.
‘It is an outrage that Great Ormond Street Hospital has denied a pastor from praying for Charlie Gard and offering spiritual help to his family,’ he said.
‘I was invited by Charlie’s parents Connie and Chris to come from America to pray for Charlie, and it is stunning that I was denied from doing this. In 40 years of pastoral ministry, I have never once been denied the right to pray over a patient in a hospital.
‘This continues to show Great Ormond Street Hospital’s disregard for the wishes of Charlie’s parents. First the hospital denies care, and now they deny prayer.’
Charlie’s mother professed herself to be ‘heartbroken’ at the decision to refuse Rev Mahoney entry.
But he proved as irrepressible as ever and the decision was later reversed, allowing the American to say what he called ‘ one of the most important prayers I have ever prayed in my life’ over Charlie in his hospital room. Sharing a photograph of himself with the family on social media, Rev Mahoney, who is a grandfather, declared: ‘Wonderful update and victory.
‘The hospital did allow me to go pray with Charlie.
‘Here I am with his parents, Chris and Connie. Let’s believe for a miracle and that Great Ormond Street hospital would continue do the right thing.’
Married for 44 years this August to wife Katie, who is a lifestyle coach, Rev Mahoney’s first job as a pastor was in New York, where he worked with gang members and troubled youths.
The Mahoney family moved to the Washington DC area in 1992, when he became a director of the Christian Defense Coalition, which fights to protect public expressions of faith. Today, he and his wife live in Freder- icksburg, Virginia. Three years ago, he acted as a spokesman for a diseasestricken teenager in the US and expressed ‘outrage’ on behalf of the girl’s parents when a judge in Massachusetts awarded custody of the youngster to the state. REV
Mahoney reportedly said the parents believed that their daughter was being ‘ treated as a pawn and piece of property’.
Now, he has taken up the cudgels in similar fashion on behalf of Charlie. Recently, Rev Mahoney said: ‘ One of the main issues concerning Charlie Gard is this.
‘If the government, courts and hospital officials can tell loving parents how they are to raise and care for their children and force them to do as they wish, then the role of parents and a free society are in grave danger.’
Beneath another photo- graph of himself with Mr Gard and Miss Yates recently posted on Facebook, Rev Mahoney – who does not appear to be averse to selfpromotion – wrote: ‘This is what the revolution looks like! Here I am in London with Chris and Connie.
‘They have stood against hospital officials, the courts, judges, government bureaucrats and the entire system to fight for the life of their son… and they are winning!
‘This shows there is nothing that compares to the heart and love of a mother and father.’
Whatever his precise motivation might be, Rev Mahoney is clearly determined to take control of the situation.
After the interventions of the Pope and US President Donald Trump on behalf of the ailing little boy, you might think the story could not surprise us any more. But as they might say where Rev Mahoney comes from… you ain’t seen nothing yet.