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Why Men Dislike Going to Church
Pádraig McCarthy raises the issue of the reducing number of men showing an interest in Christianity. He refers us to an interesting article by Charles Horejsi, a retired University of Montana professor of Social Work.
The Inspiration of a Cowslip
Seamus Ahearne casts a cold eye on ‘The present day chaos of bureaucracy (that) almost drowns our souls.’; ‘the great competition going on between the ‘essential’ aspects of life and the nonsense of paperwork or meetings to protect our backs.’
Seamus asks of our celebration of Eucharist ‘Do we find it prayerful ourselves (as priests)?
Of the political he says “The Government gets strangled by stray issues. … So much of it is an avoidance of the real problems.”
But then the sight of a “little cowslip. It stops me. And I gasp. What stops other people? … I think our job … is to open eyes, hearts, imaginations and then to help each other, see. Then real worship will follow. Then the Scriptures will come alive. Then Communion will happen. Then our faith will be confirmed.”What to do about Cardinal Sarah
Brendan Hoban looks at the latest statement by Cardinal Sarah.”Sarah advocates receiving Communion on the tongue while kneeling as being more in line with tradition and more respectful than receiving it on the tongue.
He’s wrong on both counts.”Announcement of Assembly
The ACP, in conjunction with some others, are organising a gathering, which we are calling “Towards an Assembly of the Irish Catholic Church”. It will take place on Monday, May…
It’s still Easter
Bernard Cotter writing recently in The Tablet noted how “It is a strange feature of those who control the consumer calendar, that every feast is celebrated to the full beforehand rather than on the day itself or indeed on any day in its immediate aftermath. Christmas and Easter share a common fate in this regard.”
“How does one respond to the challenge of sustaining Easter joy over its full season? Communication is the Church’s primary tool. Perhaps instead of making so much of the 40 days of Lent on their own, the 90 days of Lent/Easter should in their entirety comprise the annual springtime renewal for Christians, with 40 days of fasting, prayer and almsgiving followed by 50 days of feasting, prayer and celebration (a time to honour those in parish ministries with social time together, perhaps).”World Meeting of Families – Let’s be real.
Faced with the ‘lucky bag’ of glossy advertising material about the world meeting of families regularly reaching most parochial houses, Seamus Ahearne pens a few thoughts, and hopes, about this upcoming event.
“We need the messed up, chaotic struggle of most ordinary and real families to be centre stage. We have to reflect the life of the family in Ireland and not some idealised version.”
“I don’t dismiss or undermine anything of the mighty work being done in preparation. I am concerned that it can reflect something of what we see daily.”
In this case the charges could be proven false by the paternity test. In the vast majority of cases there is no way of proving the charges false. Even when charges are proven false, something sticks. Moreover, even when there is some truth in a charge, the tendency is to exaggerate it and paint things in the blackest possible colours.
Having just listened to the podcast of Friday morning’s edition of Today with Pat Kenny, I wish to congratulate Fr Sean and Fr Liam on an excellent interview. They spoke clearly of the huge injustice done to Fr Reynolds and of the tremendous anguish it caused to him and to all who know him. They spoke too for the need of a more fair approach on the part of RTE’s News and Current Affairs office in the way it reports on matters to do with priests and church. And all of this was said with dignity and in an even-handed way that did not sound either triumphant or vengeful. Well done lads!
Regarding Fr Reynolds defamation case against RTE I am glad that he has had the paternity test and his reputation and integrity are restored to him with that test.The minor who was raped and made pregnant who made accusation and is some one else guilty of this crime .There are many victims of clerical abuse who never had a day in court and were so damaged that their innocent lives were cut short and destroyed.Christ took all the sins of mankind to the cross for our salvation HE did not did not shrink that dreadful suffering but said forgive them Father no day in court !!
Fr Reynalds has had a very large payment in compensation etc and as a follower of Christ will he give this to the many victims of clerical abuse those whose names only the God knows.
I hope RTE continues with investigative journalism but learn from the mistakes in this particular case.
i
The Inquiry called for by Patsy McGarry yesterday (Tuesday), and now set in train by Pat Rabbitte, should be the responsibility of the Minister of Justice, not of Communications. This should not be a merely ‘technical’ inquiry to judge whether RTÉ carried out its remit, but one to decide which heads should roll so that others may learn some lessons. Aoife Kavanagh was no young ingénue, trying to break into investigative journalism by landing a big story, and nor were her producer, editor and director. McGarry is right in that the future credibility of Prime Time and RTÉ will be the main casualty if the investigation is less than thorough and transparent. But the rest of the media, and those who drove their own virulent agendas over the past decade, should be investigated too.