Homosexuality and the Bible to be explored in Dublin conference
A conference on ‘Homosexuality & The Bible’ is to be given by Augustinian Kieran O’Mahony in Dublin in June. Full details in the EVENTS section (see menu at top of this page).
Brendan Hoban ponders how sport has relegated religion in his Western People column.
Richard Gaillardetz, a lay theologian from the U.S., puts the current exercise of authority within the Catholic Church into a historical perspective. The magisterial activism that we are witnessing today is not traditional, he maintains: it is quite novel and its merits will need to be assessed in that light. (First published in the 1-14 Feb issue of the NCR under the headline: The church’s shifts in spheres of authority.)
John J Shea again writes to Pope Francis and the Council of Cardinals on the issue of the ordination of women.
John says to Pope Francis “You kept insisting: “dialogue, dialogue, dialogue.” In fact, you said: “dialogue fearlessly.”
Yet, there is not nor has there been any dialogue—fearless, gender inclusive, or otherwise—on the ordination of women, arguably the most important issue in the church. As Supreme Pontiff can you call now for synodal dialogue and end the appalling silence of our church?”
In the wake of the controversy aroused by Archbishop Martin’s comments about his decision to transfer the three Dublin diocesan students from Maynooth Seán McDonagh wrote in the Irish Independent last week to express his surprise and disappointment at the issues that exercise and energise some of our bishops and most of the media.
“nobody mentioned three of the most significant documents of the modern Church – The Joy of the Gospel, Laudato Si’ : On Care For Our Common Home and The Joy of Love. These are pivotal documents in the modern Church and yet, they were missing for the debate.
I look forward to the day when the media – if they are genuinely interested in the future of the Irish Church- will afford the same time, interest and energy to discussing the latter as they have to this week’s Maynooth story. “
Perhaps we could apply that wish for the media to church as well and even to commentary on our website!
Brian Fahy shares the lesson of accepting people as they are, which he learned from his late wife Margaret. He wishes the church would learn to accept all its gay members as they are — drawing on the story of the Prodigal Son to illustrate his message.
Christa Pongratz-Lippitt reports on the strong plea for church reform issued by the Abbot of Einsiedeln, Switzerland, a member of the Swiss Bishops’ Conference (first published in the 21 December issue of the National Catholic Reporter, USA).
I was at two talks given by Fr Kieran O’Mahoney recently and I can highly recommend him. He is a very engaging speaker with a great sense of humour and a passion for his subject. He also has the gift of really connecting with his audience and this topic is vitally important. There are so many people suffering deeply because of a failure to understand. This story below is not an isolated one unfortunately.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/21/opinion/bruni-one-schools-catholic-teaching.html?comments%23permid=14&smid=fb-share
The amount of youth suicide in Ireland attributable to our homophobia or our cute-hoor silences will never be measured.
I cannot attend the conference due to another previous engagement, but I am delighted it is taking place, and I pray and hope it is very fruitful.It is a most important issue and I pray God’s blessing on this timely initiative and all the participants,speaker and organiser.Let it be indeed the Good News” which brings liberty to captives.” There has been too much suffering too long for too many of our brothers and sisters.
I would also be wanting to know what is said at this conference.
I’ve been reflecting today on the notion that it is the gay/lesbian on-going protest for change that probably has the best traction world-wide, even though, there is also, ‘pushback’. We know that the Vatican held the line for years and years on issues, especially, the ordination of women, and could be years and years before same sex marriage is a Catholic reality. However, I am wondering if the time has passed for the Vatican to be able to continue to “push away” what it does not want to hear or deal with. I’m thinking that it may be the pressure from the gay and lesbian community that is the “straw that broke the camel’s back.’ If the Vatican continues to refuse to hear this protest group, I think, it will be this issue, this fight, that will ultimately create schism.
I have a friend in his 60s come out today. He feels like an immense weight lift off him. He can breathe better and his friends and family did not expect it but have been fantastic.
Maybe I should thank ACP for existing or we’d never have met.