Launch of Quo Vadis by Mary McAleese
Mary McAleese’s book, Quo Vadis, is being launched on Saturday 20 October in Marianella, Orwell Rd, at 12.30pm. Members of the ACP who wish to attend are welcome
Mary McAleese’s book, Quo Vadis, is being launched on Saturday 20 October in Marianella, Orwell Rd, at 12.30pm. Members of the ACP who wish to attend are welcome
Gerry O’Hanlon alerts us to a new publication that intends to spark a real and “constructive engagement and dialogue between secularists and religious believers, in order to imagine an alternative narrative” to one where “conventional economic models have failed, politics is fractured, what it means to be human is contested, and there is a Punch and Judy show of opposition between secularists and believers.”
Brendan Hoban responds to comments made by Senator Rónán Mullen on a live radio programme concerning Fr. Tony Flannery.
On the day when the Vatican’s three-year investigation into US nuns concluded with a call to continued dialogue it seems that the message of openness preached by Pope Francis is still not being heard in some quarters, not least the CDF.
In contrast the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life commenting on those sisters who did not co-operate with the ‘visitation’ says “we use this present opportunity to invite all religious institutes to accept our willingness to engage in respectful and fruitful dialogue with them.”
We look forward to this “willingness to engage in respectful and fruitful dialogue” being put into practice by all in the Curia and all in positions of power or influence.
Report on the Dublin Region Meeting concerning the wellbeing of priests
The ACP Leadership Team reports that the German Bishops are taking the Pope at his word, and acting accordingly — and they ask: “what are the chances that Irish Church authorities might do the same?”
A talk by Gerry O’Hanlon SJ on “Reforming the Catholic Church”
2.00 pm Saturday 27 May 2017
The Arrupe Room
Jesuit Conference Centre Milltown Park.
The pope said the enormous amount of work and demands being made on pastoral workers “make us run the risk of becoming frightened and withdrawing in on ourselves out of fear and self-defense.”
“And out of that springs the temptation of self-sufficiency and clericalism, that codifying the faith into rules and instructions, which the scribes, Pharisees and doctors of the law did during the time of Jesus. We will have everything exact and everything just-so, but the faithful and those who are seeking will continue to be hungry and thirsty for God,” Pope Francis explained.
If pastoral ministry uses the same approach the scribes and Pharisees took, “never, never will we be witnesses of being close” to people like Jesus was, he said.
Her book thrusts Mary McAleese into a new role as an outstanding theological voice. The gimlet eye of Canon Law has rarely been put to such good use.
The root of the current disaster is the nervous reaction of Paul VI to effective collegiality (surfacing in the infamous “black week” at the Council in November 1964). Humanae Vitae was another step in that direction — a dead letter as far as its ban on contraceptives goes (though with destructive consequence in Africa and the Philippines), but very significant ecclesiologically (where its practical consequences as regards episcopal appointments and persecution of theologians have been dire).
Here is a fan letter from politics;ie:
I wish I could link this programme which was on RTE 1, ‘The Meaning of Life’, with Gay Byrne, guest Mary McAleese, just now to those of you who have not seen it, but I’m computer illiterate as you well know so perhaps some kind person might do so, if there is an interest.
As an atheist, I have to say I sat down to watch more out of boredom than anything else, and found myself totally and utterly astounded by our former President’s views on the Catholic Church, her forthrightness on the faults of the church, the misogyny of the church, the arrogance of the ‘princes’ of the church, her amazing career in Law and her recent study and degree in Canon Law. Her book Quo Vadis I must read when I can afford it or someone lends to me.
What I loved about her was her complete and genuine love of all peoples. Her fight for the rights of Gay couples to marry, her understanding of their persecution and terrible unhappiness over the centuries because of church laws, all church laws, but most of all her love of Jesus and his words.
I have always spoken out about my great admiration and love for Jesus, the man. She did too. She accepts he is God. I don’t. She believes in transubstantiaton. I don’t. But it didn’t matter because when it came down to it, I agreed with her on where it mattered. To love one another. To love our enemy. To show no hatred. No bigotry. To share, to commune with all others.
I am now completely besotted with Mary McAleese. Wonderful woman. Wonderful advert for a true Christian church. The complete and utter opposite to some of those who speak out here about what it means to be a Christian, and her intelligence just shines out of her like a beacon. And all intersperced with great good humour.
This link should get the Byrne / McAleese interview for those with the required IP addresses:
http://www.rte.ie/player/gb/show/10064032/
The RTE interview with Mary Mac Aleese is available on the RTE Player for another week on http://www.rte.ie/player/ie/show/10064032/
Well worth watching.
Soline and Sean,
Thank you for the link to the interview — absolutely excellent! I have been able to share it with many like-minded people.
Paddy.
Watching the interview with Gay Byrne, together with the earlier radio interview with Pat Kenny brought to mind words that I think were attributed to Charles Pegey concerning ‘Liberal/progressives’: “See these liberals! They have clean hands!! But alas–they have no hands”.