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Chris McDonnell writing in the Catholic Times comments on the ongoing crisis about abuse; “We cannot avoid the downpour of critical comment that now surrounds us. It is only through our sincere and humble action that we can begin the re-establishment of the credibility of the Christian message.
It will demand a re-examination of structures and disciplines that may have led us down this broken path.”

Two Healing Circles arranged.
EAST:​​Date:  Wednesday 5th September 2018
​​Time: 2.00pm
Venue: St James Parish Centre, James’s Street, Dublin 8.

WEST: ​Date: Wednesday 12th September 2018
​​Time: 2.00pm
Venue: Cúram Family Centre, Clare Street, Claremorris, Co Mayo.

Finian Connaughton expresses his opinions about the recent coverage by Ireland’s national broadcaster, RTE, of the World Meeting of Families and the visit of Pope Francis. He hopes to start a debate about RTE’s coverage of church related matters and if it is balanced. He says “Are we priests happy to see our profession, vocation, however we name what we do, ridiculed day after day and say nothing about it? 
Our silence is deafening and dangerous.”

Regional Priests Meetings – North
Tuesday 11 September 2018 at 2.00pm in the Clannree Hotel, Derry Road, Letterkenny, Co Donegal. 
All priests welcome, including non-ACP members. 

The issuing of his 11 page letter by former nuncio Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano raises many questions; as many about his own motives as about what he alleges.
Two articles, one in the National Catholic Reporter and the other in The Washington Post attempt to fill in the background to the issuing of the letter and the influence that conservative catholic media organisations played.

The Washington Post article says “news this week that Catholic journalists were involved in editing and distributing a Vatican diplomat’s explosive and largely unverified letter calling for the pope’s resignation reveals an influential and tightly knit conservative Catholic digital media network that’s been particularly active during the tenure of its nemesis, Pope Francis.”
The article offers two ways to view these journalists;
quoting a ‘conservative lay leader’ who says ““This whole episode seems like total Fake News … The allegations of sexual abuse coverup “have to be investigated, wherever they lead. But the way this came out, it really struck me: ‘They’re really out to get Francis.’ ”
and from ‘one commentator in the conservative Catholic media sphere’;
“They’re not trying to be objective,” the person said. “They are trying to evangelize; they’re trying to spread the good news, spread the message as they understand it. They are activists.”

Cui bono? Who benefits?

Chris McDonnell  wrote recently in the Catholic Times,  August 24th  2018, about the the late Raymond Hunthausen, retired Archbishop of Seattle.
“At a time when a number of those to whom the Church has given responsibility of leadership  have fallen short of expectations, it is worth while pausing a moment and reflecting on the life of an outstanding man, who in spite of his being called to the Lord remains with us in example and deed. He was truly a man of the Beatitudes, who saw Christ in those about him and was himself Christ to those who were in need.”

Éist Audio Productions, who have recorded some ACP events in the past, recorded the lectures  given at the World Meeting of Families in the RDS in Dublin.
They are available from Éist;  www.eist.ie

Seamus Ahearne jots down some thoughts on recent WMOF and associated Papal visit events and wonders how St. Augustine might have responded!
“If the energy put into staging this event could be tapped for the ordinary life of God among us we would really do damage with the graciousness of our Godliness.   It is still a wonderful world.  Our God reigns! “

Jo O’Sullivan writes of her experience of the WMOF and the Papal Visit; “deep in our souls the pain of centuries of oppression is still there. And now our pain has been inflicted by the very source that comforted our forebears through their agonies. Is it any wonder so many of us can’t move beyond that sense of betrayal?”
Francis “keeps asking us to pray for him. I do. And I also pray for us. We need and deserve an Institutional church which reflects real Christianity – that church which rallied around the homeless who gathered at the GPO on Sunday night.”

Speeches by An Taoiseach, Mr Leo Varadkar and Pope Francis In Dublin Castle.

An Taoiseach; “Holy Father, I believe that the time has now come for us to build a new relationship between church and state in Ireland – a new covenant for the 21st Century. It is my hope that your visit marks the opening of a new chapter in the relationship between Ireland and the Catholic Church.
Building on our intertwined history, and learning from our shared mistakes, it can be one in which religion is no longer at the centre of our society, but in which it still has an important place.”

Pope Francis; “It is my prayer that Ireland, in listening to the polyphony of contemporary political and social discussion, will not be forgetful of the powerful strains of the Christian message that have sustained it in the past, and can continue to do so in the future.”

Seamus Ahearne worries about the overwhelming negativity that now dominates media news coverage. He asks “How can we (or do we) as a nation – help the youngsters and even the ould wans, sharpen the antennae to notice and celebrate the beauty and wonder of life, which has to be task of real Religion and real Education?”

Tony Flannery outlines his expectations of the papal visit in an article on his own website. The article also appeared in the Irish Independent.

A statement from the Association of U.S. Catholic Priests.

BBC NI have published an article, prepared ahead of the Irish papal visit, on their website.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-sh/Ireland_between_Popes

When honesty comes at a price Chris McDonnell  We happen to live in a time when honesty is lacking. Maybe that has always been the case but in our own…

LETTER OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS 
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Great to see the work for Church Reform going on in Scotland.  But you will see from the account below that they are meeting with obstacles that we are familiar…