Brendan Hoban, writing in the Western People, comments on the recent decision of Pope Francis not to make a decision about women deacons. “It’s a decision that the Church seems intent on avoiding,” ….
“The key question Francis faces is not whether the Church can afford to ordain women deacons but whether we can afford not to do it.”
A human and honest response to the news of a cancer diagnosis, Dancing to my Death is Daniel O’Leary’s final book.
On the fourth Sunday of Easter each year, we honour the Risen Lord as our Good Shepherd. Today is the day of prayer for vocations to priesthood and religious life: we pray that God will give the Church men and women formed in the image of the Good Shepherd, who will be the priests and religious of the future.
ACP expresses disappointment over Pope Francis’ comments on women deacons.
Chris McDonnell writes in this week’s Catholic Times of how even a single voice can disturb “our comfort zone and there is an unease, almost guilt in consequence. The social disruption created by the preaching of the Nazarene was equally unsettling. ‘Listen, you who have ears to hear’. It was true when the Lord spoke those words and is still true now.”
Seamus Ahearne casts his eyes about on recent happenings.
“May all of us catch the light and begin our song. May the chorus of life – dawn on us daily. Let’s sing our song.”
Pope Francis has issued new norms for the universal church outlining how allegations of abuse have to be dealt with.
It has received extensive coverage in Vatican News.
Michael Sean Winters also writes in the National Catholic Reporter of the latest directive of Pope Francis that “establishes new laws for the universal church regarding both the scourge of abuse and the equally abhorrent covering up of such abuse.”
“If you are ordained, or belong to a religious order, you are now a mandatory reporter of abuse. You can’t ignore it.”
Various news outlets are carrying reports about Pope Francis’ comments on women’s diaconate in his airborne press conference while returning from a trip to Bulgaria and North Macedonia. We carry snippets from America Magazine and Vatican News.
“The pope did not tell reporters what steps, if any, would come next on the subject of a women’s diaconate.”
Enda Lyons, a priest of Tuam diocese for over 60 years, died last Thursday.
Brendan Hoban and others paid tribute to him on the weekly Faith Alive programme on Mid West Radio on Sunday. We carry Brendan’s words and a link to the full programme.
We’re two weeks into the Easter season now, but the Good News of the season continues to reverberate in the Liturgy. Joyfully we worship God who raised our Saviour from the dead.
Mary T. Malone
How Women founded Christianity and may revive it today
Followed by Q & A
7.30 pm Monday 13 May 2019
Mercy Centre International, 64A Lower Baggot Street, Dublin 2
Please book your free ticket for Mary T. Malone on 13 May 2019 via Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/mary-t-malone-how-women-founded-christianity-and-may-revive-it-today-tickets-61030346409
Even though Easter Week is now behind us, today’s liturgy still overflows with the joy of Jesus’ resurrection. We continue to celebrate that great event for the next six weeks, until Pentecost Sunday on the 20th of May, the fiftieth and final day of Easter.
Seamus Ahearne offers some thoughts on recent events.
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.
Download 1998 Missal Easter Season – Opening Prayer, Prayer over Gifts, Final Prayer [pdf-embedder url=”https://www.associationofcatholicpriests.ie/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Easter-season.pdf” title=”Easter season”]
Crux Now carries a story about a group of eight celebrities as they traveled a section of the Via Francigena, the ancient pilgrimage route from Canterbury to Rome as part of the BBC2 show Pilgrimage.
Chris McDonnell writing in the Catholic Times reflects on these days of commemoration.
Our prayers and sympathies go to the Catholic community of Paris and to all French people following the devasting fire at Notre Dame Cathedral.
Updated – Notre-Dame refleurira!
Clericalism is a world wide problem in the church. But, are (we) priests in utter denial?
The Jesuit Institute of South Africa have published a challenging article on their website.
“There are, it seems, a growing number of us priests who would be better off heading-up dictatorial fiefdoms…… Priests have, for many people, become the weekly cross they bear.”
Joe O Leary writes on Holy Week.
“At the heart of our faith lies the death of Christ, which is not a mere sudden event of long ago but a vast space that contains all human experience of suffering and death, guilt and despair. Descending into that chasm in meditation, we find that it is a gracious place, throbbing with the promise of resurrection.”
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