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
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Four public meetings, organised by the ACP, been held countrywide to give people the opportunity to articulate what they would like to say to Pope Francis about the church, and particularly about the church in Ireland.
The ACP realise that many people were unable to attend these meetings and have expressed a wish to have their views taken into account.
We invite people who wish to express their opinions to do so by emailing
info@associationofcatholicpriests.ie
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