Brendan Hoban, in his Western People column, writes about tensions that exist in church.
“While the big battle – and battle it is – is going on in Rome, there are more minor skirmishes taking place at national, diocesan and parish level, between those convinced of the need to introduce sweeping changes in the Church’s laws and practices and those holding on grimly to the past.”
“It is difficult to see how there can be any agreement between sides that are mutually and diametrically opposed to one another – sometimes to the point of bitterness – and every reforming effort by Francis is being fought tooth and nail, even reforms that are necessary for the very survival of the faith in parishes all over the world.”
Pádraig McCarthy pays tribute to the late Ronan Drury Ronan Drury, editor of The Furrow since 1977, died on 16 November 2017, at the age of 93. His funeral…
A copy of an audio cd of our AGM is available from Eist Audio Productions by contacting Eist on 087 2789 390 or by emailing eist@eircom.net.
Gabriel Daly, on his ninetieth birthday, looks back at tumultuous change in the church.
Our best wishes to Gabriel on his birthday and our thanks for his permission to publish this article.
Thanks as well to Brendan Walsh, Editor of the Tablet, for permission to include this article on our site. It was first published in the 18 November edition of The Tablet.
Dublin Diocese’s website has published the speaking notes of Archbishop Diarmaid Martin’s talk at the Patrick Finn Lecture Series given at Saint Mary’s Haddington Road, 16th November 2017.
Archbishop Martin made some very interesting points:
” ….. will involve new forms of priestly presence within faith communities in the changing future of Ireland.”
“How do we reach out in a new way to people where they are and create a desire among them to deepen their understanding of Christian message?”
“What are the factors that alienate people from the Church structures of today? Probably the most significant negative factor that influences attitudes to the Church in today’s Ireland is the place of women in the Church. Next would be the ongoing effect of the scandals of child sexual abuse.”
“A survey of young people’s attitude to parish was carried out in the Dublin diocese …. The report was one of the most disappointing documents that I read since becoming Archbishop. Young people felt unwelcome in parishes.”
“But the fate of the Christian is more likely to be that of marginalization rather than martyrdom.”
“Why am I still optimistic? Irish society is still permeated with elements of faith. Residual faith, however, is probably more fragile in an indifferent world than in a world of hostility. There are deeper elements of goodness and idealism and generosity among young people but despite years of Catholic education, they do not seem to have been truly touched by the knowledge of the person of Jesus Christ.”
The first Seán Fagan Memorial lecture was delivered by Angela Hanley on 13 November 2017 at the We are Church meeting in the Arrupe Room, Jesuit Communications Centre, Milltown.
We thank Angela Hanley for making the text of her paper available to us for publication.
Peter Johnstone is President of Catholics for Renewal, an organisation with many supporters who are committed Catholics determined to seek reform of the dysfunctional governance of the Catholic Church institution.
He wrote on https://johnmenadue.com about the Australian Church in the context of the wait for the final report from the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. He stated that “Only those in blind denial could fail to realise that the Catholic Church in Australia is now in the midst of a massive and existential crisis.”
Attached is a link to an audio file of coverage of our AGM. The original was broadcast on Mid West Radio on their ‘Faith Alive’ last Sunday.
Seamus Ahearne attended our AGM this year as a member rather than as one of the leadership team. He shares his impressions of the annual meeting with us.
Report of the 2017 AGM of the Association of Catholic Priests
A copy of an audio cd of our AGM is available from Eist Audio Productions by contacting Eist on 087 2789 390 or by emailing eist@eircom.net.
The ACP has launched an Information Card for priests with guidelines about their rights. These guidelines are in keeping with recommendations made by The National Board for Safeguarding Children.
The ACP is happy to inform members that a meeting is being arranged between representatives of the ACP and the Irish Episcopal Conference, represented by Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin and Archbishop Eamon Martin of Armagh, President of the Irish Episcopal Conference.
Despite the recent decisions announced by Pope Francis the issues with the ‘new’ Missal are immediate and ongoing. There was, and is, a ready alternative available.
praytellblog.com reports that New Zealand’s bishops have welcomed Pope Francis’ “Magnum Principium (the great principle)”.
They state “We will be working in collaboration with English speaking Bishops’ Conferences around the world, as we seek to explore prudently and patiently the possibility of an alternative translation of the Roman Missal and the review of other liturgical texts.”
A look at statistics (from 2014) about the Catholic Church in the U.S. is somewhat depressing. Apart from a growth in the numbers of permanent deacons there seems to be decline in all else.
What can we learn from these figures, what can we do?
Maurice Taylor, a Scottish bishop who served for many years on the International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL), welcomes Pope Francis’ decision to change the criteria for liturgical translation.
Our thanks to Bishop Taylor and to Mary Cullen, editor of Open House, for their permission to publish this article.
The Annual General Meeting of the ACP will take place at the Buccaneers Rugby Clubhouse in Athlone on Tuesday, 07 November, 2017, from 2.00pm to 5.00pm, in The Bounty, Dubarry Park, Athlone, Co Westmeath.
God’s message is still a living power among us, so we gather this Sunday to listen and be challenged by it.
Different sources are carrying stories about the possibility of married men being ordained priests being on the agenda of the Amazon Synod. It is an issue that is gaining momentum.
Seamus Ahearne in his reflections on ‘our search for the God of our everyday life’ reminds us that ‘The presents of life have to be appreciated.’
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