Letter from Desmond Wilson

Brendan Hoban in his Western People column takes another look at the recent regulations issued by the CDF about cremation.
Brendan wonders ‘How is it that Vatican departments, and not least the CDF, get it so exactly wrong so often?’

‘It isn’t just that the rules don’t make sense at almost any level, apart from the arcane reasoning of the CDF, but that the whole debacle, almost anyone can see, is not only excruciatingly embarrassing for the Catholic Church but will damage its reputation, annoy many of its loyal adherents and frustrate priests left to deal with unreasonable and inoperable regulations.’

Gabriel Daly attended the funeral of Seán Fagan and has now penned some thoughts on Seán’s funeral and ‘the suffering and injustice inflicted on him by the leaders of his own church.’
‘The presence of a bishop at Seán’s funeral would have been a golden occasion to express metanoia and the readiness to respond more sensitively to the the message of the Gospel. It would have meant so much to his family.’
‘It cannot be said too often that peace, unity and friendship in the church do not depend on agreement about matters that do not belong to the essence of the faith. What the Gospel prescribes is willingness to live together in peace, friendship and respect for ideas and attitudes that one cannot share, and finally, if possible, even to be open to the desirability of reform. …….
Pope Francis is leading with words of mercy and healing. Why are we not following?’

Gabriel Daly is author of ‘The Church always in need of Reform’, Dominican Publications, www.dominicanpublications.com

Dublin Diocese’s website has published the speaking notes of Archbishop Diarmaid Martin’s talk at the Patrick Finn Lecture Series given at Saint Mary’s Haddington Road, 16th November 2017.
Archbishop Martin made some very interesting points:
” ….. will involve new forms of priestly presence within faith communities in the changing future of Ireland.”
“How do we reach out in a new way to people where they are and create a desire among them to deepen their understanding of Christian message?”
“What are the factors that alienate people from the Church structures of today?  Probably the most significant negative factor that influences attitudes to the Church in today’s Ireland is the place of women in the Church.  Next would be the ongoing effect of the scandals of child sexual abuse.”
“A survey of young people’s attitude to parish was carried out in the Dublin diocese …. The report was one of the most disappointing documents that I read since becoming Archbishop.  Young people felt unwelcome in parishes.”
“But the fate of the Christian is more likely to be that of marginalization rather than martyrdom.”
“Why am I still optimistic?  Irish society is still permeated with elements of faith.  Residual faith, however, is probably more fragile in an indifferent world than in a world of hostility.   There are deeper elements of goodness and idealism and generosity among young people but despite years of Catholic education, they do not seem to have been truly touched by the knowledge of the person of Jesus Christ.”