APOSTOLIC JOURNEY OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS TO IRAQ 5-8 MARCH 2021
We pray for the successful visit of Pope Francis to Iraq, starting today.
Link to the timetable of events for Pope Francis in Iraq.
We pray for the successful visit of Pope Francis to Iraq, starting today.
Link to the timetable of events for Pope Francis in Iraq.
We Are Church presents a Zoom with Kieran O’Mahony OSA Tues, 9 November 2021 19:30 – 21:00 GMT Link to details: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/restoration-or-reformation-kieran-omahony-osa-tickets-191800338977
Chris McDonnell thinks about one thing that has been missed in recent weeks – “the exchange of touch between each other in recent weeks for without words our hands speak of our emotions, our cares and our suffering.”
“It is with our hands that we take and give, share and consume. What could be more practical than we receive the gift of the Christ in the same manner?”
The immediate aftermath of an event, while memory is fresh, is usually the best time to review how well, or poorly, the event succeeded in achieving what it set out to do?
Brendan Hoban, in his Western People column, raises some pertinent questions parishes could ask of themselves about their celebration of Easter.
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Chris McDonnell writing in the Catholic Times about the crisis in which the church is mired states “First of all, we cannot expect, nor should we presume, that the bishops can achieve change by carefully chosen phrases and pious pleasantries. There must be deep and meaningful exchange with the laity, using the latter’s experience and expertise to inform and develop a satisfactory strategy. Ownership by all achieves more than the instruction from a selected group.
Secondly, we must ensure that women are allowed and encouraged to participate fully in such developments……….The singular male voice has dominated for too long and the story that has been told has been incomplete. Maybe now, at long last, change will be forced upon us and we will recognise that appreciation of the broader picture will only come when the response is from both men and women.”
I am appalled that Francis is making a foreign trip during a pandemic. He and his party are vaccinated, most people in Iraq are not. Watching TV footage of crowds lining his route there was no social distancing to be seen. Further the large number of security personnel needed adds further risk.
My prayer for this trip is that it will not be a super spreader.