Pádraig McCarthy keeps us advised of the plans of the bishops’ conference to continue with “new translations” of the lectionary and Rites of the Sacraments.
And all of this without any type of proper review of the train wreck that was the so called ‘new translation’ of the Roman Missal.
Jeannine Gramick writes in the NCR about meeting old friends at the annual conference of the Association of U.S. Catholic Priests in Chicago.
“I had found them 40 years later — concerned about a Vatican II vision of church and yearning for a community with the same hopes and dreams for justice and peace. They seemed to have found this vision in Pope Francis and to have realized community in a group called the Association of U.S. Catholic Priests.”
Is there any learning for ourselves to be gleaned from the experience of our U.S. friends in AUSCP?
Edward Daly R. I. P.
With the appointment of a ‘Commission of Study on the Diaconate of Women’ by Pope Francis there might be a temptation to suspend the debate on the issue until they publish a report. However as Vatican commissions tend to be very long running affairs it is necessary and good that the debate continues in all local churches.
Judith Valence writing in America Magazine gives a very interesting account of how the issue is perceived in Chicago.
“Maureen Garvey often serves alongside her husband, Deacon Kevin Garvey at their parish ……. ‘We had the exact same training, two nights a week, one weekend a month, summer internships,” she says of her husband’s formation studies. “I wrote every paper he wrote. The only thing that was different was on the day of ordination, I had tears in my eyes when all the guys were called up [to the altar] and they left their wives sitting in the pews’ “
Brendan Hoban like many priests spent a good part of today, Friday, visiting the elderly and sick in his parish and found there’s a lot of upset out there among people about the allegations that have been made against Maynooth Seminary.
Many priests will be considering if they should address this issue at weekend Masses. Brendan offers some thoughts that might provide a bit of clarity on the background as so many are confused; it might encourage priests to address it.
Comments on this topic should be posted at “Maynooth Seminary Crisis: ACP Statement”
Gabriel Daly attended the funeral of Seán Fagan and has now penned some thoughts on Seán’s funeral and ‘the suffering and injustice inflicted on him by the leaders of his own church.’
‘The presence of a bishop at Seán’s funeral would have been a golden occasion to express metanoia and the readiness to respond more sensitively to the the message of the Gospel. It would have meant so much to his family.’
‘It cannot be said too often that peace, unity and friendship in the church do not depend on agreement about matters that do not belong to the essence of the faith. What the Gospel prescribes is willingness to live together in peace, friendship and respect for ideas and attitudes that one cannot share, and finally, if possible, even to be open to the desirability of reform. …….
Pope Francis is leading with words of mercy and healing. Why are we not following?’
Gabriel Daly is author of ‘The Church always in need of Reform’, Dominican Publications, www.dominicanpublications.com
Seamus Ahearne casts his eye over some of the topics that are currently exercising bloggers and bishops; i.e seminaries and diaconate and the future of ministry.
Seamus as usual views them in the wider context of living the good news, of being a living church. “Deacons. Students. Priests. Bishops. Everyone. All of us have to find our bearings in that mess. The tidiness of the past is gone. The Church has to lose control. Ministers have to be strong. Men, women, married, unmarried (as ministers) – who cares (it is so totally unimportant). All that matters is the world of faith is celebrated with humility.”
With the ongoing controversy about Archbishop Martin of Dublin deciding to remove all 3 of Dublin archdiocese’s students from Maynooth Tony Flannery suggests “The solution would have to involve a radical revision of our understanding of ministry and the requirements necessary to become a priest. So, rather than just tinkering around with Maynooth, the Irish church needs to initiate a process of discussion at all levels to discern what type of ministry is best suited for the Church of the future.”
“…. we need courage. The problems in seminaries is only one part of a much greater malaise in the church. Trying to re-create the past is not the answer. Significant change is needed.”
The ACP have issued a statement on the controversy afflicting Maynooth at present.
“While it is important that the highest standards prevail in Maynooth, the response to whatever the crisis is – real or imaginary – demands more than moving a few students to Rome and offering a few unconvincing reasons for the decision.”
UPDATED with Brendan Hoban interview on Morning Ireland, 03/08/2016
Vatican Radio announces that Pope Francis has appointed a commission that ‘could study the question” of the diaconate of women, “especially with regard to the first ages of the Church.” ‘
Interestingly for a Vatican body the commission is gender balanced.
Excerpts from a report by Gerard O’Connell in America Magazine on Pope Francis’ “Wake-Up Call to Polish Clergy”.
It could be a wake up call for the Irish Church as easily.
“Francis has heard about the tendency toward clericalism and resistance to change among many of the 156 bishops and 30,000 priests”.
“Francis noted that “in our lives as priests and consecrated persons, we can often be tempted to remain enclosed, out of fear or convenience, within ourselves and in our surroundings.”
“Looking at the bishops and clergy seated in front of him, he said, “Jesus wants hearts that are open and tender towards the weak, never hearts that are hardened.”
God’s Word calls us to recognise the transience of life, to keep our eyes on what is lasting: we gather in that spirit today.
The idea that all sanctions and restrictions were lifted from Sean Fagan before his death is being widely circulated, and also in some of the comments on this site.
Shamefully, for those who had the authority to do so, all the sanctions placed on Sean Fagan were not removed before his death.
This article by the late Sean Fagan appeared in ‘Doctrine and Life’ in March 2001.
Sincere thanks to Bernard Treacy OP, Director, Dominican Publications, 42 Parnell Square, Dublin 1 for permission to publish this article by the late Sean Fagan. www.dominicanpublications.com
Thanks to Sean O’Conaill for the suggestion to publish the article as a tribute to Sean and for providing an electronic version of the article.
Brendan Hoban, writing in the Irish Times, offers some initial thoughts in the immediate aftermath of the murder of Fr. Jacques Hamel.
We extend our sincere sympathy to the family of Fr. Jacques Hamel, to the parishioners in Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray and to the people of the Diocese of Rouen.
Nous adressons nos sincères condoléances à la famille du père Jacques Hamel, les paroissiens de Saint -Étienne- du- Rouvray et à la population du diocèse de Rouen.
Chris McDonnell writes in The Catholic Times about the shortage of priests and states that “It will soon be too late to consider a possible resolution to the problems we face unless we take active steps now to address our difficulties.”
“there is a now a clear necessity for Commissions to be set up both in the UK and Ireland by the respective bishops’ conferences to examine the whole issue before the model we are currently struggling to manage breaks and we are left to pick up the pieces.”
Brendan Hoban’s weekly column in the Western People takes a look at the ‘noxious weed’ of clericalism.
Clericalism, Brendan describes, is when “In simple terms the priest was given to believe that he knew best, was in full charge of everything and should feel superior to mere lay-people. To give this clericalist mentality substance it was wrapped in black soutanes and Roman collars and placed in a context of status, deference and privilege. Priests became part of an exclusive, hierarchical and authoritarian elite.”
Brendan Hoban in the Western People suggests it’s time that Cardinals who are obstructing the reforms of Pope Francis should be called to order.
“Francis has very publicly told members of the Roman Curia that they often suffered from ‘the pathology of power’ which produced ‘ a superiority complex’ “
It was with great sadness that the ACP learned of the death of Fr. Sean Fagan.
May the Lord grant him peace.
Tony Flannery penned a brief appreciation on learning of Sean’s death.
‘The Judas Iscariot Lunch’ , a documentary, features 13 former Columban missionary priests including Joe O Grady from Cloonacool, County Sligo.
It is is a story about faith, religion, love and life after the priesthood.
This documentary, often funny, sometimes sad, is beautiful, raw and thought-provoking.
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