Blog

Seamus Ahearne binges on TV (three programmes in a week!) and recommends it as a great escape, but not to be indulged in too often!
“In my frivolous mood, I wish that we as Church people might learn from the three Shows and be motivated to do something very new. …. We need creativity and imagination to produce new Churches (not the buildings), new Parishes and new ways of being Dioceses. We need experiments. We need a new structure. We need to think outside the box. We need dreamers. We need visionaries. If only all were prophets!”

Saints in October 01 October St Therese of the Child Jesus, Virgin, Doctor of the Church Born at Alençon (France) in 1873; died of tuberculosis at Lisieux on 30 September…

Paddy O’Kane offers a personal reflection on his ministry of being priest to people who are hurting.

Peter McVerry SJ draws our attention to a document from the Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice about the homeless/housing crisis which Ireland finds itself in.
“there is no version of holiness that satisfies itself with doctrinal rigour, or liturgical purity, but does not act for the sake of the marginalised:”

Sean O’Conaill invites us to look again at our understanding of sin and our need for transformation as expressed in the liturgy of the eucharist.

Maire Lawless voices her concerns with the on-going difficulties people experience with the “new translation” of the missal.
“The issue is very serious because some deeply spiritual people …… have found this to be the last straw of a power driven authoritarian church which now touched directly on their highly valued prayer life.  As a result they no longer have attendance at Roman Catholic Eucharist as a part of their practice.”

Val Rogers draws attention to a short report by Brian Vale, in a bulletin from the Columbans in Australia,  about an Acculturation Programme Brian Vale and others provided for overseas priests who have come to serve in Australia recently.

As artificial intelligence and automation is increasingly taking over and replacing workers, Sean McDonagh alerts us to the fact that it is not just governments and trade unions that need to plan for the future.
“Most Churches have not considered how they will organise pastoral care if 40% of the people in the parish are not involved in paid employment, which seem to be where this technology is taking us.”

Seamus Ahearne shares one of his reflections on life and God being revealed in the reality of the world about us; “God is not dead. The beauty of our gift as faith-people is magnificent. We cannot tolerate the dark, the dull, the dreary, the deluge of overwhelming sadness.
We have to sensitize our minds, hearts and imaginations to the world of God. We are ministers of the Gospel. We have the ‘joy of love.’ That enthusiasm has to burst out from us. Whatever gets in the way of this; has to be pushed aside.”

Chris McDonnell, writing in the Catholic Times, states what should be obvious to all; “Renewal and repair is not only a clerical task, for clericalism has been one of the deep seated roots from which have grown our present dysfunctional state. The laity must willingly accept the burden of reformation, bringing their skills, talents and experience to the service of faith. And they must be listened to, not brushed aside as an inconvenient irritant as has so often been the case. Parish councils, Diocesan councils are not an optional feature but play an essential part of our journey, they facilitate meaningful exchange.”

Tim Hazelwood reviews John E. Ryan’s ‘Priesthood imprisoned: A crisis for the Church.’
Tim says of it “we experience an insider’s look and honest appraisal of priesthood that greatly adds to this book’s authenticity and attraction.”

Tim’s review first appeared in the The Furrow, June 2018. With thanks to the Furrow and to Tim.

Joe O Leary commented that “The whittling away of the theological status of episcopal conferences right through John Paul II’s pontificate has a kind of blueprint in Joseph Ratzinger’s 1982 book, Theologische Prinzipienlehre [Principles of Catholic Theology,1987]. It is dismal reading and unveils a full-length portrait of the conservative theologian that he had become.”
Joe kindly makes available an article that Massimo Faggioli wrote in the Japan Mission Journal in 2004:

9/11 A time to remember all who die because of hatred and violence.

Brendan Hoban, writing in the Western People, casts an eye back over the recent visit of Pope Francis.

John Shea is persistent. He continues to write letters to Rome on the place of women in the Church.
“If our bishops remain unable to address women’s ordination and if our theologians who are informed enough to speak are also unable to address it, then who is able to speak?”

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?