Survey for the Synod on the Family is available here
Take the Survey Now In preparation for the Extraordinary Synod on the Family to be held 5th – 19th October 2014, the Vatican has asked national bishops’ conferences around the…
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Irish bishops comment on papal initiatives
The Irish Bishops‘ statement at the end of their Winter meeting in Maynooth included comments on the two major initiatives from the Vatican in recent days – the questionnaire on the Synod on the Family, and Pope Francis’ document, The Joy of the Gospel. (Published on the bishops’ website: read the full statement here)
The prophets of doom have got their answer!
James Martin SJ gives an enthusiastic welcome to Pope Francis’ letter on “The Joy of the Gospel”. First published in America: read original article and comments here
Read Paul Vallely’s book about Pope Francis — it will change your life
Brendan Hoban reviews Untying the Knots by Paul Vallely, the celebrated biography of Pope Francis (first published in the Western People, 24 November 2013)
English-speaking bishops should learn from their German counterparts
William Grimm believes that the large majority of priests are unhappy with the new English translation of the Missal. He suggests that bishops should make the 1998 translation available, and allow their priests to use it — imitating the robust approach of the German bishops.
Will church leaders rise to the challenge of Pope Francis?
Tony Flannery rejoices in the difference Pope Francis is making in the Church, but fears that local church leadership may not have the capacity to implement the change the pope wishes for.
Dialogue within the Irish Church may flow from Pope Francis’ leadership
Sean O’Conaill gives a layman’s response to Evangelii gaudium. He hopes that the decentralisation that Pope Francis encourages might overcome ‘deeply embedded Irish clericalism’
With Pope Francis, something is stirring….
Pat Moore reacts to Pope Francis’ letter, asking if Francis is allowing Christianity to reinvent itself in and through him — at a time when the adventure seems to have gone out of Christianity.
Pope Francis publishes his first letter: ‘The Joy of the Gospel’
The ACP Leadership Team share this brief summary of Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation, Evangelii gaudium, published on 26 November 2013 (taken from the Vatican Information Service).
Some Irish media commentators love their Church ‘not wisely but too well’
Brendan Hoban takes issue with Breda O’Brien and David Quinn’s praise for Pope Benedict and dismissal of Pope Francis. He finds their evidence of green shoots in the Irish Church unconvincing (first published in the Western People, 18 November 2013).
Tony Flannery’s book is courageous and important
David O’Neill, a retired lecturer in theology in the UK (and former Augustinian priest) reviews Tony Flannery’s book, A Question of Conscience
What disenchants the Irish diocesan clergy
Brendan Hoban lists sources of disenchantment in the Irish diocesan clergy — and suggests what might enchant them (first published in The Furrow, November 2013).
ACP report on Yvonne Murphy investigation published
About eighteen months ago some priests of Dublin Archdiocese approached the ACP Leadership with the proposal that a study of Judge Yvonne Murphy’s Investigation of Clerical Child Abuse in the Archdiocese be conducted.
Retired High Court Judge from Hong Kong, Mr. Fergal Sweeney, was commissioned to do this work.
We here publish his report:
Commissions of Investigation and Procedural Fairness Report (40 pages, PDF)
In conjunction with this, Fr. Padraig McCarthy of the Archdiocese has just published a book on the same subject. This does not duplicate Fergal Sweeney’s work but includes further areas of analysis of the Murphy Report. Padraig’s book, An Unheard Story (published by Londubh) will be available in most bookshops.
Leadership Team: UPDATE
Presenting: a brief profile of the three new members of the ACP Leadership Team, and an update on the original team members.
Synod preparatory document is now available to all
The Leadership Team of the ACP share the latest document from the Vatican, in preparation for the Synod on the F amily to be held in 2014. This contains a questionnaire that is meant to be widely circulated. The principal document, the Lineamenta, which includes the questionnaire, is now available as a PDF file on the Dublin diocesan website
Government should read review of Murphy Report before launching further investigations
Padraig McCarthy reviews Archbishop Diarmuid Martin’s response to the legal review of the Murphy Report, agreeing that it makes valid points — but also pointing out that there is more to be said.
Can we civilise the Catholic Internet?
Sean O’Conaill notes a tendency in inter-Catholic online discussion to silence opponents by the use of such wild card tags as: ‘modernist’,
‘fundamentalist’, ‘Protestant’, ‘relativist’, ‘heretic’. He asks if the Catholic Internet can be civilised, so that potentially brilliant contributors will not hold back from being part of discussions.
Dermot Lane commends and challenges the ACP
Dermot Lane offers his thoughts on the ACP in a letter to its annual meeting
Where does the ACP go from here?
Gerry O’Hanlon SJ reviews the ACP’s first three years and suggests future directions (this is the text of his talk at the start of the AGM).
Has Pope Francis been to SpecSavers?
Sean Duggan points out that Pope Francis gives us a new image of ‘sheep’ — not the cuddly, domesticated one, but the smelly animal. He suggests we must learn to live with ‘the smell of the sheep’.
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