Gerry O’ Hanlon S.J. writes in an article about the recent referendum on marriage and its aftermath
It was first published on
http://www.eurekastreet.com.au/.
“The atmosphere among the crowd in Dublin and elsewhere in Ireland was carnival like – rainbow flags flying, people smiling and embracing, a sense of delight. This, on the Vigil of the Feast of the Holy Spirit, was a kind of secular Pentecost, a communal experience of movement from fear to peace and joy.”
He quotes Archbishop Diarmud Martin in saying that the church ‘has to find a new language to get its message across, particularly to young people, and that if teaching isn’t expressed in terms of love then the Church has got it wrong.’
Gerry concludes that ‘Archbishop Martin and his colleagues here in Ireland – and further afield – need to take up with energy and enthusiasm the challenge of Pope Francis for a more collegial and dialogical church, in which the voice of all is heard. Then perhaps we can hope for an ecclesial Pentecost to correspond to the secular celebration last Saturday in Dublin, a joyful re-birth of our badly damaged church.’
Seamus Ahearne, from his seaside retreat, reflects on recent happenings in Ireland and in Church and is not alarmed.
“Wherever I have worked, the church and the culture were not synonymous. We were never that important in the scheme of things and that was and is much better. I don’t think that the coincidence of culture and religion was ever good or right as it has been in Ireland. But the world of God is not shattered when people vote against the view of the Bishops. God and Faith goes on.”
“I am blessed. My church is a happy, noisy, argumentative place. No Referendum changes that one.”
Press Release by the Association of Catholics in Ireland concerning the forthcoming Synod on Family .
” a synod without the significant involvement of married laity will lack authority.”
Brendan Hoban in his weekly Western People column offers his thoughts on the outcome of the marriage referendum.
“A clear message for the Church is that the bishops’ view was roundly rejected not just by the gay community, or those sympathetic to its views, but by tens of thousands of ‘ordinary’ Catholics.”
“There’s a massive change taking place in Ireland and, once again, the Catholic Church finds itself out-thought and out-manoeuvred, too influenced by the conservative right, ….
Trying to keep out the tide is always a failed enterprise. When will we learn that simple truth?”
Today is Pentecost Sunday, the second climax of the Easter season. We celebrate ‘the great beginning of the Church’, the day the Holy Spirit first came to confused and frightened disciples.
Seamus Ahearne gives his thoughts in the aftermath of the debate, discussion and decision of the marriage referendum.
” The sun still shines. The rain still comes. We all go about our business. We make our arguments and then accept what has happened. No one has died. It isn’t the death of life or family or marriage as we know it. “
Lester Feder reports for buzzfeed on the referendum ‘that is testing the limits of progressives’ hope for change under Pope Francis’.
In his weekly Western People column Brendan Hoban ponders the question that many are asking themselves this week, ‘how will I vote’, because “come Friday, there’s no middle ground between Yes and No.”
The Ascension of the Lord is celebrated today. The Church also calls this Sunday ‘World Communications Day’.
As he left his disciples, Jesus sent them out to spread the Good News. This is our task too. We ask for the grace we need.
Brendan Hoban in his weekly Western People column questions the wisdom of bishops threatening to have priests withdraw from the civil aspect of Catholic marriages in advance of the marriage referendum.
“Let me say, first of all, that in my opinion (for what it’s worth) Archbishop Martin (and other bishops) are unwise to even suggest that priests solemnising marriages in Catholic Churches would, in the event of a YES vote being carried, no longer agree to act in a civil capacity.”
Request: Comments on the substantive issue of the referendum should be directed to the thread ‘The Marriage Referendum: Archbishop Diarmuid Martin explains why he is voting No; Fr. Pádraig Standún explains why he will be voting Yes’
As a result of the 2nd international meeting of priest associations and lay reform groups that recently took place in Limerick an open letter has been sent to Pope Francis.
“Pope Francis, we – priests and deacons, ministers and Church citizens, women and men – need you! We appeal to you to clear the way for new forms of parish life, their ministry and management. Let us open the priestly office to everyone who has the charism. Let us develop new management models and forms of pastoral ministry so that parishioners can participate according to their charisms. Let us establish a new culture of co-responsibility and joint decision-making in all structures of our Church. Let us remember how Jesus understood and lived community. God’s spirit compels us. Let us be courageous and tackle this together!”
Chris McDonnell reminds us that if the Jubilee Year of mercy is to mean anything then there is a need for people to feel and experience having mercy shown them.
He asks, “How will the Church be a sign of mercy in the Jubilee year? It will not be enough to declare a Jubilee without our showing mercy in a real and recognisable manner”.
Fr. Pádraig Standún, writing in this week’s column, Standún’s Station, in The Connaught Telegraph explains why he will vote for the marriage referendum.
Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, Archbishop of Dublin, in an address to Diocesan Communications Officers explains why he is voting against the marriage referendum.
Brendan Hoban, in his Western People column, tells us we have to face reality when considering the future for our Church, even if in our circumstances that denial is understandable. However he is adamant that “Fantasy is no help to the Irish Catholic Church.”
We gather in the love of God this Sunday, redeemed in the death and resurrection of Jesus. We are people with a mission, challenged to grow in love each day. We ask God for divine help with this mission, today and during the coming week.
Like branches of one tree, we are held together by our faith in Christ. Because we are all part of this one living plant, we come together in thanksgiving and praise.
Sean McDonagh keeps us informed about the forthcoming encyclical that deals with ecological issues. He includes a quote from Neil Thorns, the head of advocacy at England’s Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD), as saying that “the anticipation around Pope Francis’s forthcoming encyclical is unprecedented. We have seen thousands of our supporters commit to making sure their MPs know climate change is affecting the poorest communities.”
What will be the response of the church in Ireland and its bishops?
Seamus Ahearne, in his usual style, anchors us in the reality that is church in Ireland in 2015; a church where the hot button issue/culture/liturgical wars so beloved by some are just irrelevant to many people.
“Evangelisation happens on the streets, in the shops, in the schools, at the door, in the community and especially in the homes. We are interpreting experiences. We are the learners. We are the outsiders. Evangelisation is about humility. When we realise how little we know and how fragile we are now in a culture that doesn’t know our God or our Church; we can relax and learn. The God we used to preach/celebrate really wasn’t always a loving, real and immediate God either. We were in control. Now we are at a loss. But that too is alright. We are old but aren’t dead yet; we can learn if we are prepared to.”
Sarah Mac Donald, a freelance writer based in Dublin, reports for NCR on the recent meeting of Catholic reform groups in Limerick.
Brendan Hoban in his most recent Western People column wonders when the limits to loyalty will reach breaking point for Irish Catholics. “The Catholic Church, as bishops and sometimes parish priests remind us, is not a democracy but if people are used to their opinions being taken seriously in every other walk of life, they tend to raise a collective eyebrow when the Catholic Church decides that decision-making is confined to a tiny elite.”
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