Seamus Ahearne continues to be inspired by his early morning walks.
“We walk humbly into the future. We are indeed ‘tiptoeing’ with reverence into that new world, where there are hints of mystery everywhere. ….. Ministry has to change. Parish life has to change. Church has to change. Our understanding of Sacrament has to change. Our concept of Liturgy and worship has to change. We have to change”.
We Are Church will host a Zoom with Bishop Paul Dempsey National Synodal Assembly Tues 12th October @ 7.30pm To Register €5 – details: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/national-synodal-assembly-bishop-paul-dempsey-tickets-166954676933
From The Irish Times: Tues 17 August 2021: Church criticism of Covid curbs may trigger review of place of sacraments in school by Fr Tony Flannery It is now a…
Following on from Bernard Cotter’s multilingual ‘welcome notes’ in today’s Presider’s Page Pádraig McCarthy forwarded a few more handy hints – words of welcome…
Frankfurt Declaration: For a Synodal Church (This petition is more a declaration of the people of God in dialogue pledging to implement their conclusions in their communities and parishes. The…
Tuesday July 9th– Mother Relationship We all have one, and to her we owe our very existence. Throughout life she remains that hugely influential relationship in our lives, whether she…
An interesting article from Robert Mickens in La Croix (link below):
Catholic women are still relegated to second class Musings on the pope’s “motu proprio” on female readers and altar servers
Read more at: https://international.la-croix.com/news/letter-from-rome/catholic-women-are-still-relegated-to-second-class/13639
The People of God lead – and Pope follows belatedly
13 January 2021 We welcome the recent announcement by Pope Francis that women will now officially be allowed to act as Acolytes and Lectors.
For more than 50 years women have been carrying out these roles. Now rather belatedly Pope Francis makes it official. Real change comes from the People of God at the grassroots and not from the curia in the Vatican.
Women remain officially excluded from:
• Reading the gospel at mass
• Preaching at mass
• Presiding at the Eucharist
• All ordained ministries
• Decision making at all levels
For centuries women have been treated as inferior to men by the patriarchal leaders in the Catholic Church. The full equality of women in the Catholic Church is still officially being denied, but the People of God know it is a reality in our church all around the world.
Sadly, the announcement by Pope Francis did not include any apology to women for having officially been denied these roles for decades.
Colm Holmes
Chair, We Are Church International
E colmholmes2020@gmail.com
M +353 86 606 3636
W http://www.we-are-church.org
We Are Church International (WAC) founded in Rome in 1996, is a global coalition of national church reform groups. It is committed to the renewal of the Roman Catholic Church based on the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) and the theological spirit developed from it.