A reflection by Fr Jim Bacik on the US election. Jim gave a joint diocesan retreat for Tuam and Kilalloe priests in Esker last June. His wisdom and spirituality was well received with Karl Rahner as a ‘giant on his shoulder’.
“it is clear that Pope Francis offers a worldview that challenges the thrust of the Trump movement.”
Gerard Moloney, a Redemptorist priest, and former editor of the magazine ‘Reality’ writes of the appalling experience he suffered at the hands of the CDF.
“How can you defend yourself if you don’t know you are on trial? How can you defend yourself if you don’t know who your accusers are? How can you defend yourself when your fate has been decided even before you discover you have been on trial? It is an utterly unjust and unchristian system.
Something is rotten in the state of the CDF, and while the current people and processes remain in place, nothing will change. Priests, sisters and brothers will continue to be treated as less than human, and will have their lives hurt or broken.
… injustice has a price, and I am paying it every day.”
Mike O’Maera reports in the NCR of the Kenyan Bishops’ Conference celebrating Lent and the Year of Mercy in a very practical way. Could it be an example for European and U.S. Bishops’ Conferences to copy and lessen their use of the year as a drive to get people back into the confessional?
With the sad news of the death of Gerry Reynolds we carry links to BBC N.I. and UTV. We extend our sympathies to his family and to his Redemptorist colleagues. May he rest in peace.
Fr. P. John Mannion in this article explores the disjunction between the Church’s Canon Law and the teaching of the New Testament.
He does so in the context of the dealings of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, formerly The Inquisition, with Fr. Tony Flannery.
The injustice of those dealings and lack of due process is compounded when some commentators lay charges against Tony Flannery on the basis of what the CDF has done rather than anything he actually said.
Pádraig McCarthy poses some interesting questions as we face into a general election in the Republic of Ireland early in the new year.
“We have an election coming early next year, significant for the centenary of 1916. How does our faith in Jesus Christ inform our active citizenship?
What inspiration and challenges can faith offer to setting goals in political and public life? “
Soline Humbert recommended this recent article by Joan Chittister OSB in NCR as worthwhile reading.
Joan argues that ‘if Pope Francis takes the question of married men seriously, that could, for a change, lead to real change’.
…”young unmarried women see little or no place for themselves in the male church.” …”So pollsters track them as they go somewhere else seeking spiritual nourishment or, just as likely, go nowhere at all. Disillusioned with the gap between Christian teaching and Catholic practice on equality, religion has little meaning for them now. In a world where secular institutions are more likely to recognize the fullness of a woman’s humanity than the church does, church does not interest them much anymore. “
“I am convinced that until the women’s question is addressed in the church, the numbers will continue to decline, and the church will fail in the 21st century”
A group of Catholic priests have taken Pope Francis at his word in calling for dialogue in the Church and have called for open discussion on the need for equality of Women in all aspects of Church life, including Ministry.
Their statement is attached for your information.
Luca Badini Confalonieri, Research Director, on behalf of the Trustees, Patrons and Staff of the Wijngaards Institute recently appealed directly to Pope Francis for the Re-instatement of the Ordained Diaconate for Women.
“There should be no room in our Roman Catholic Church today for the rationale which subverted female deacons in the Middle Ages: the phobia concerning menstruation and the conceit that women are innately inferior to men.
The need for the ministry of women deacons is plain in every country. May your hands be the first to restore the diaconal dignity to women.”
Tim Hazelwood outlines his thinking, and that of the Pastoral Council of Killeagh-Inch parish, for inviting Tony Flannery to speak in their parish and the subsequent reasons for the withdrawal of the invitation.
The initial fall out from Bishop Billy Crean’s intervention has been covered previously at “What did the bishop achieve?” http://www.associationofcatholicpriests.ie/2015/09/what-did-the-bishop-achieve/
Nicole Sotelo has a very interesting article in NCR.
Can we not learn from history?
No matter how many statements are made about the dignity of women, the status of Mary vis a vis apostles and saints, the use of feminine pronouns when referring to church, the fact that women are totally excluded from decision making roles poses huge questions and problems about the credibility of statements coming from the synod and church authorities.
At the synod women were allowed observe and make some statements but had no role is decision making or voting. Can and should the world take seriously any statement resulting from such a process in the 21st century?
Notice of an Association of Catholics in Ireland presentation with Fr. Gerry O Hanlon and Alice Leahy in All Hallows on Saturday 14 November at 2.00 p.m..
Jonathan Luxmoore reports in The Tablet on an initiative by the German bishops to promote women to positions of leadership.
Our Irish football team may have beaten Germany recently but the German bishops seem to be in a commanding lead over ours when it comes to recognising the realities of life in the 21st century and acting on them; this latest development following on from their refusal to accept a poor translation of liturgical texts from Vatican officials and the comments coming from the German speaking group at the synod.
Lecture
The Papal Encyclical, Laudato Si, and its implications for Church and Society.
Venue: Trinity College Chapel, Dublin
Date: Monday, June 29th
Time: 8.00pm.
ENCYCLICAL LETTER
LAUDATO SI’
OF THE HOLY FATHER
FRANCIS
ON CARE FOR OUR COMMON HOME
Sean McDonagh comments on the current conflict between Dr. James Reilly, the Children’s Minister, and Japan Tobacco International over the issue of plain packaging of cigarettes.
Sean challengingly reminds us that “Religious people do comment on alcohol miss-use, but not on cigarettes. I wonder why, because every time you use tobacco products as described by the producer you harm yourself and those around you.”
Kirsty Jane McCluskey interviews Peter McVerry SJ, for her project about Jesuit vocation and identity: http://jesuitstories.wordpress.com/2014/08/31/peter-mcverry-sj-social-activist-and-campaigner/
Gerry Hefferan, St Joseph and St Anthony Parish, Bracken Ridge, in Queensland, Australia draws our attention to a statement of the Australian catholic bishops who have expressed grave concern at the humanitarian crisis that is continuing to worsen in northern Iraq. They state that ‘The best outcome for the Christians and Yazidis of Iraq is peace and security, so they can return to their homes. But if this is not possible, the Australian Government should agree to offer safe haven to many of these displaced people so they can try to rebuild their shattered lives.’
Is the reaction of the church and state in Ireland appropriate in response to this and other growing crises?
So many Church people today blame ‘materialism’ for the loss of faith: here, Sean O Connaill suggests that materialism is not the problem, but rather covetous or mimetic desire. The fundamental human need that drives surplus material acquisition is a need for something entirely non-material. Homilists are challenged to reflect this in their words.
Fr Sean McDonagh SSC reflects on the collapse of the garment factory in Bangladesh, and how where we buy our clothes has implications far beyond what we might be aware of.
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