Blog

Brendan Hoban offers a reflection on Holy Week.
“Calvary sets in consoling relief the experience of all who suffer – whether the nightmare of physical pain or the emotional trauma of significant loss or the prospect of imminent death. The human Jesus, struggling to come to terms with the reality of his predicament, echoes every human experience of suffering and of loss and reflects the complexity and confusion of emotions that attend all those caught in the slipstream of pain and loss and death.”

“For God had made two huge lights, the sun and moon, to shine down upon the earth
— the larger one, the sun, to preside over the day and the smaller one, the moon, to preside through the night;” Gen 1:16

Coming to Holy Week, we reflect on our Theology of the Cross, our Soteriology. This article from Richard Rohr OFM may be of interest in that reflection.
Pádraig McCarthy

Iggy O Donovan offered his thoughts on the upcoming referendum in The Irish Times.
“The arguments crowd in on us from both sides. Much of life today is like that and we cannot off-load our troubled consciences on others, whether in church or State. We have to make our own decisions for ourselves.”

In his weekly Western People column Brendan Hoban welcomes the introduction of new regulations that will come into force governing the accounting for all church monies. These are a result of the Charities Regulatory Authority (CRA), being established by the government last October.
“While the Church for years has encouraged openness and transparency at diocesan and parish level with mixed results now the new regulations will universally enforce a new, transparent regime in every parish in Ireland.”

Mattie Long reflects on the open letter Gerald O’Collins S.J. wrote to English speaking bishops concerning the continued use of the “new” missal. Added to this letter are the comments of Pope Francis on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the celebration of the first vernacular Mass celebrated by Pope Paul VI in 1965.
Mattie draws on James Dallen’s ‘What Kind of Ecclesiology?’ to question the purpose of the ‘new’ missal.

Tony Flannery quotes from Donal Dorr’s Option for the Poor and for the Earth.
“While the Church is bound to give witness to justice, she recognises that anyone who ventures to speak to people about justice must first be just in their eyes.”
Tony in reflecting on his own situation suggests that this principle presents a strong challenge to the prevailing practices and views in the Vatican

Fr Richard Rohr OFM offered this reflection on Ash Wednesday on the Center for Action and Contemplation website.
Pádraig McCarthy

Brian Eyre keeps the situation of married priests before us. How can the talents of these men be utilised for the good of the church. He presents a challenge to us! “However in the long run it is the local parish where the married priest lives that can bring about changes. A P.P. who welcomes a married priest who lives in his parish can do an awful lot of good to break down barriers and wrong attitudes. His role or position will not be challenged or weakened if the married priest is seen doing pastoral work in collaboration with him.”

Brendan Hoban in his Western People column argues that for the Catholic Church the result of the referendum on same-sex marriage will matter less than the fall-out afterwards.
“Looking back on previous debates (on contraception, divorce, abortion) that divided the nation, neither side was prepared to take a long and respectful approach to the issues. Debates around difficult subjects and competing rights were marked by an absence of generosity on both sides.”

In his weekly Western People column Brendan Hoban discusses the RTE ‘Meaning of Life’ programme following a recent edition featuring Stephen Fry.
Brendan marvels that ‘in a country immersed in religion, it’s quite extraordinary how few seem to have given little more than a passing thought to the meaning of their lives – and how many still imagine that God is some version of Fry’s caricature, notwithstanding huge unanswered (and probably unanswerable) questions about the problem of evil and suffering in the world.’

“Most Catholics experience the faith through a single cultural lens. Yet people all around the world live and imagine it in a rich diversity of ways. “

A Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Council for Culture meets in Rome 4-7 February 2015, with the above theme.

Tony Flannery reviews a new book by Angela Hanley, Athlone based theologian.
Whose A La Carte Menu will be launched on Sunday, February 1st, in the Shamrock Lodge Hotel, Athlone at 5.00pm.

Brendan Hoban, in the Western People, muses about the rights and responsibilities of freedom of speech.
“While the right to free expression is important and should be defended, it’s not an absolute right. And those who are prepared to hurt and offend should not see it as a fail-safe or catch-all defence for their bigotry, of whatever hue.”

Brian Eyre expresses concerns about the illogical norms that are being followed in ordaining married men, former Anglican priests, while excluding Catholic priests who wish to marry from official ministry.

Sean McDonagh tells us that the most important part of the forthcoming encyclical on the environment by Pope Francis is that it develops a credible and adequate theology of creation.

Michael Commane OP in a column for INM Irish regionals says that statements from Pope Francis and the German Bishops set him thinking. He found what they had to say ” … heart warming and must give hope to those who pray to an open and forgiving God. How great would it be to see far more of a church that stressed prudence and compassion over authoritarianism and discipline.”

With freedom of the press and the right to free speech very much in the news Brendan Hoban questions, in his weekly column in the Western People, ‘why I should continue to buy or even to read a paper that so consistently belittles my religion.’

Seamus Ahearne osa offers a refection at the end of the Christmas season.