Fr Peter Byrne CSsR issues statement
A contributer to this website signed himself as Peter Byrne. Fr. Peter Byrne C.Ss.R. has stated clearly that he is not the author of such comments and wishes to be dissassociated from them.
With genuine concern being expressed in varied quarters about the toll on the mental and physical health of priests due to increasing workloads and expectations Brian Fahy’s article is timely.
“A soul friend is someone you can go to regularly and share your spiritual feelings and condition with them, trusting them to hold your confidence and to listen in a positive and constructive manner, and who will offer guidance and advice as needed. This habit of having a soul friend puts us all on the level playing field. You are no longer regarded as a suitable case for treatment. You are a fellow traveller on life’s journey and your soul is never neglected.”
Sarah Mac Donald writes in the NCR about recent comments by Bishop Crispian Hollis, the retired bishop of Portsmouth, concerning the ordination of married men to the priesthood which he says “needs to be explored openly within the church in England and Wales at national and diocesan levels.”
With fewer than 40 students in the national seminary at Maynooth it is an issue that is crying out to be explored in Ireland as well.
Liamy McNally is quoted as saying “There is no priest shortage!” ….. “We have many priests, but they are married and so are not allowed to have a public ministry,” ….. “in the early church those with a vocation to priesthood were married, whereas today, those who feel called to priesthood must also have a vocation to celibacy.”
Seán McDonagh reminds us of the true cost of our taste for chocolate!
Brendan Hoban in the Western People outlines the campaign being waged against Fr. James Martin. “What’s clear is that Fr. Martin is no heretic. He’s in good standing with his Church, supported by his Jesuit colleagues and respected in his ministry. He’s not rejecting church teaching. He’s doing what Pope Francis himself has done, creating a space in the Catholic Church for LGBT people and creating greater awareness of the need to respect them”.
“The truth is that, in America, the presence of homophobic groups who place themselves under the umbrella of ‘Catholic’, are spewing unimagined levels of vitriol on anyone whom they believe is compromising what they see as ‘Catholic teaching’. It is a sinister and corrosive development that runs counter to the gospel, to the mercy Pope Francis consistently underlines and even to minimal standards of civility and respect.”
Pádraig McCarthy draws our attention to the statement from the Oblates about the involvement of religious congregations in the government redress scheme for residents of children’s institutions.
Fr. Paddy Banville of Ferns was interviewed on Morning Ireland this (Monday) morning in relation to his article in the Irish Catholic about child abuse in the home. Since we…
It was I who assumed that it was the respected Redemptorist Fr Peter Byrne, who wrote what I considered, was a despicable attack on his brother Priest Fr Tony. For that I offer Fr Peter my sincere apology and seek his forgiveness. The opening lines of the offending post “Our Redemptorist Constitution” made me believe it was written by Fr Peter. Again I request your forgiveness, and with a contrite heart, will have a mass celebrated for your intensions.
This clarification once again urges me to ask the team leaders at the ACP to reconsider again the way comments are allowed to be put on your website-comments which are often posted under false names or anonymous names.
I think it serves no purpose or rather it serves a negative purpose.
Firstly it discourages most of your ACP members and others from engaging actively with the site -that is people who would be happy to be identified and secondly it encourages a level of abuse that is not constructive or helpful to many of the debates.
Indeed who wants to engage in a dialogue with someone when they have no way of knowing who they are corresponding with or what their agenda is ?
Surely allowing a dialogue to take place in this way resembles how the CDF engaged with Tony Flannery.
Need I say more.
I second Anne Walsh’s plea. The level of discussion would soar if people gave their real names.
And I would add to that, how about contributors offering their email address. Identity and openness are of great value in honest exchanges.
So…I have the same name as a redemptorist and was quoting from their constitutions.
I had no intention of attempting to imitate Fr. Peter.