ACP leadership to meet diocesan reps
The ACP Leadership Team announces a meeting between them and representatives of each diocese on Tuesday, February 25th at 2.30pm in the Hodson Bay Hotel.
Articles
Pope Francis addresses engaged couples on St Valentine’s Day
Padraig McCarthy reports Pope Francis’ words to engaged couples on St Valentine’s Day. (The talk was in Italian and was published on the Vatican website: this is an unofficial translation.)
Is the New Evangelisation a crusade of fear?
Frank Gregg reacts to an EWTN discussion on Sister Faustina and asks how the loving God could have made the hell they discussed
Is there room for two clergy organisations in Ireland?
Eddie Finnegan reflects on the recent launch of the Irish Confraternity of Catholic Clergy and, in his inimitable tongue-in-cheek style, considers the prospects for success of two movements of Irish clergy.
Recent spat between cardinals signals a ‘battle for the soul of the Church’
Brendan Hoban sees in the recent public disagreement between Cardinals Muller and Maradiaga a part of the ongoing struggle between Benedict XVI’s church and Francis I’s church. It is, he believes, a battle “between a black and white view of Catholic reality (take it or leave it) and an acceptance of the complexity of human experience (try to understand weakness and failure)…” (First published in the Western People).
Florida bishop reports on the results of the Synod Survey
Bishop Robert Lynch of St. Petersburg, Florida made a big effort to consult his people on the Vatican survey. This is his summary of the responses.
It’s time for the bishops and the ACP to talk
Tony Flannery reflects on the remarkable exchange between the Austrian bishops and Pope Francis, in which the the bishops were challenged to stay in close contact with their priests. He calls for the Irish bishops to do likewise.
German and Swiss churches publish their Synod questionnaire results
Cindy Wooden, Catholic New Services, reports in the NCR on the publication of the synod questionnaires of Swiss and German Catholics (first published in the National Catholic Reporter on 4 February 2014).
Supervision for clergy: how it works in an Australian Anglican diocese
Bryan Dunn reports on the system for supervision being implements for clergy in the Anglican Diocese of Newcastle in Australia — a possible model for Irish dioceses?
Atonement: why do Irish clergy avoid this issue?
Sean O’Conaill notes comments on the atoning quality of Christ’s sacrifice found on this site, and wonders why the issue is never broached by clergy — and a more nuanced position advanced.
Clogher priests acknowledge the fragility of priesthood
Jimmy McPhillips reports on the January meeting of ACP priests in Clogher Diocese, where the matter of priests off-duty because of ill-health was discussed.
Can this low moment in church life become an opportunity?
Seamus Ahearne draws inspiration from the Jews at Terezin and asks if we can emerge from ‘all that freezes and destroys the Joy of the Gospel in our lives’.
ACP Leadership decries Ruairi Quinn’s ‘unreflective comments’
The ACP Leadership Team responds to comments made by the Minister for Education, in which he suggested that time spent at religious instruction would more profitably be given over to core curriculum subjects.They call his comments “unhelpful, unwarranted and unacceptable”.
Religion shouldn’t make people miserable
Brendan Hoban reflects on unhappy bishops and scrupulous priests — and invites people to re-discover the wonder of God’s love, following the example of Pope Francis (first published in the Western People).
Devise a 2014 Plan for your parish
Bernard Cotter suggests that parish pastoral groups take on topic a month for 2014, as a way of planning the year. (First published in The Tablet of 4 January 2014 and reproduced here with permission of the Publisher: www.thetablet.co.uk)
Tony Flannery’s lectures in Galway and Athenry spark vigourous debate
Tony Flannery reports on the first two events of his planned speaking engagements, under the title “Repairing a Damaged Church”.
Dublin priests’ responses to the Murphy Report are published
Pádraig McCarthy welcomes the publication of a survey of Dublin priests’ responses to the Murphy report, which was compiled by Alan Hilliard and published under the title ‘A Window on Murphy‘.
Pope’s G8 group member criticises CDF chief
Tom Heneghan, the Reuters ‘Religion Editor’, reports on the comments of Cardinal Maradiaga, a member of Pope Francis’ kitchen cabinet’ of advisers: first published on Reuters, under the heading ‘Top papal ally urges Vatican doctrine chief Müller to loosen up‘ (read original article here).
Here’s my summary of Pope Francis: “I am Vatican II”
Eugene Cullen Kennedy presents Pope Francis as the personification of the Second Vatican Council, following in John XXIII’s footsteps (first published in the National Catholic Reporter on 16 Jan 2014).
Post-Christmas reflections from the coalface
Seamus Ahearne reflects on his parish experience of the Christmas and Epiphany liturgies and muses on the liturgical texts he had to use, the Francis effect, the ACP’s role and how the language and ritual of the Church affect people — or don’t.
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