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Brendan Hoban, writing in his column in The Western People, raises the issue of the campaign being waged to force the Catholic Church to hand over half of its primary level schools to patrons with a different ethos.
Brendan says that “The truth is that only Catholic parents can make that decision.”
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“The real demand in Ireland is not for secular schools but for school places and providing adequate places is the responsibility, not of the Catholic Church, but of the State.”
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Dawn Cherie Araujo reports in ‘Global Sisters Report’ on the recent Leadership Conference of Women Religious National Assembly at Houston, Texas.
Sr. Janet Mock, former LCWR executive director, referring to the Vatican’s now-concluded LCWR doctrinal assessment and mandate said “she was able to maintain hope during those years, because she tries to see the good in people. But during the process someone told her she needed to be more willing to look at the culture of corruption from which the Vatican’s actions stemmed.”
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We welcome Brendan Hoban’s return and wish him a speedy return to full health and continuing good health in the future.
Brendan casts his historian’s eye over the current system of appointing bishops and concludes that there was far less secrecy in 1829 than today and that “Now no one at local level really knows by what process an individual bishop is appointed. While there is a process and the scaffolding is clear – consultation at local level, a list of three candidates, discussion among bishops of the province, proposal of Congregation of Bishops (Rome), decision by the Pope, with everything organised by the current Papal Nuncio – the detail is cloaked in secrecy.” This gives rise to the perception “that an inordinate stress on secrecy has allowed individuals exert undue influence in the whole process.”
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Martin Kennedy pays tribute to the late Willie Cleary.
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Comments made by Pope Francis at an audience today about the status of divorced and remarried Catholics are attracting a lot of attention.
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Chris McDonnell marks the 70th anniversary of Hiroshima with his lines “The Sturgeon Moon” and we carry an interesting article by Tony Magliano in the National Catholic Reporter about the experience of Fr. George Zabelka, the Catholic chaplain to the 509th Composite Group — the atomic bomb group.
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Michael Magian offers a reflection and prayer on inclusiveness.
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The National Library of Ireland has made historical parish records of baptisms and marriages available on line from today 08 July 2015
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Pat Rogers, reports on The Association of U.S. Catholic Priests’ recently concluded 2015 Assembly, It was held in St. Louis, June 29 – July 2.
The AUSCP say that they continue to seek ways to connect with other organizations that are vital to the mission and ministry of the Church.
You can see more about the AUSCP at their website, www.uscatholicpriests.org, or at their Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/AUSCPriests
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Tony Flannery reflects on how we interpret and explain the Sunday Scriptures.
‘I know that a lot has, and can, be written about the proper interpretation of the scriptures. But today’s Gospel reading makes a couple of very straight, simple statements, ………. We are told that Jesus had four brothers, and an indefinite number of sisters.”
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Paudie Moloughney’s funeral took place today (6th July). He came from Laharden Upper, Littleton in Tipp. His work as a Kiltegan priest took him from Ireland to Nigeria to Brazil and…
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Pádraig McCarthy has produced a condensed version of ‘Laudato Si’ of about 7,000 words, to encourage people to try it, and then perhaps to refer to the full text for more on each section.
Padraig’s versions are available for down loading.
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Brendan Hoban writing in his Western People weekly column suggests that church authorities need to re-evaulate how they sometimes dispose of church assets and resources to civic authorities.
” I get the feeling that sometimes civic authorities are laughing behind their hands at the gullibility and innocence of church authorities, especially when there is so little credit given for the donation of sites that run into millions of euros. “
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Lecture
The Papal Encyclical, Laudato Si, and its implications for Church and Society.
Venue: Trinity College Chapel, Dublin
Date: Monday, June 29th
Time: 8.00pm.
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Sean McDonagh tells us that Pope Francis’ encyclical is ‘ one of the most important documents to come from a Pope in the past one hundred-and-twenty years.’
‘Pope Francis is the first to acknowledge the magnitude of the ecological crisis, the urgency with which it must be faced and the irreversible nature of ecological damage.’
Sean reminds us though that while ‘this is a most exciting document, it is only a beginning. Real efforts and resources have to be placed behind it if this concern is to find its rightful place at the heart of Christian ministry.’
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ENCYCLICAL LETTER
LAUDATO SI’
OF THE HOLY FATHER
FRANCIS
ON CARE FOR OUR COMMON HOME
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Phyllis Zagano in an article in the National Catholic Reporter gives a very interesting analysis of recent developments concerning the questions of re-admitting women to the order of deacon and that of ordaining married men to the order of priest.
Could it be that two Irish Bishops may give a lead to the universal church on these issues?
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Brendan Hoban writing in the Western People wonders if marriage really only means what we want it to mean. Brendan says ‘The Catholic Church, it could be argued, has a similar problem. It makes a distinction between two kinds of marriage: ‘sacramental’ and ‘natural’.
However this ‘may be an important one to remember when the October Synod reassembles in Rome. In short, marriage doesn’t have to be sacramental to be accepted by the Catholic Church.’
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Chris McDonnell reminds us that hearing is not listening. ‘Listening demands that we pay attention, that we concentrate, that for a while we are silent.’ When we really listen the results can be surprising and transforming.
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Association of Catholics in Ireland met with Archbishop Diarmuid Martin to discuss the changing reality for marriage and the family in Ireland.
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