Clarification in view of some Media Comment
The Association of Catholic Priests has not called for a postponment of the Eucharistic Congress.
That was a personal suggestion made by me in an article in the Irish Times.
Tony Flannery
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Hi, looks like the harm is done already. When I read the headlines on http://www.cinews.ie/article.php?artid=8820 I thought “the ACP has lost the plot”.
Headline: “In a press release, Senator Cáit Keane (pictured) said she supports a call made by the Association of Catholic Priests in Ireland’s request to postpone the event on the basis that she believes it is “not an appropriate time for an event such as the Eucharistic Congress to take place in this country.”
I think there is a case to be made for postponing the Eucharistic Congress, for one it is going to cost a lot of money when many parishes and people are cash strapped. Also there is very little activity about it so not sure how the outreach to local people will work – it could just be another case of photo ops for the favoured few and celebrations with the in crowd. If it is to work then everyone must be included and involved, our parish priest has not even mentioned it save for the time we were asked for money!! I do not feel part of it and I know many people feel the same way so if that is common that how can it help with renewal.
Perhaps this could be the spur to get the members, and especially the leadership group, of the ACP to reflect on what procedure is to be followed before a view strongly held by one or more members can become an official position espoused by the Association. My own view would be to urge caution in this regard. Only if something likely to prove controversial for other churchgoers is proposed for approval by the general membership – whether at a general meeting, or by a sounding of the members’ views, either by text or email; and if a majority are in favour of its being published as a suggestion from the Association of Catholic Priests, only then should it be so designated. Any other view publicly espoused by any of our members, and particularly by one of the leaders, should be clearly designated as “my personal view only, and not necessarily that of the ACP”. This should help us avoid any unnecessary splintering with the Association.
As it happens, I too would like to see a postponement of the Eucharistic Congress until such time as the Holy See decides to change its policy of appointing diocesan bishops in disregard of the wishes of the clergy and people of the diocese. Like Tony, I fear that holding the Congress without any visible sign of structural reform towards a more consultative church can all too easily seem like a consecration of the Status Quo, or even a vote of confidence in the church current hierarchic practice. But I’d only want that presented as an ACP suggestion, if 50%+ of our members took the same view.