Jo O’Sullivan shares her struggles with the Catholic Church. She dreams that, in the papacy of Francis, ex-Catholics might see that change is possible within this institution
The Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests (ARCWP) has produced the first edition of their new newsletter, ‘Leading’.
Mary Bergan Blanchard , editor, says that the newsletter “discusses who we are, why we’re here, and what we do…..
We are a prophetic movement. Organized religion needs to be reorganized. Millions of Catholics have given up their faith in disgust. If we do not regenerate the interest in the simplicity of Christ’s message, who will? It is buried in over 1,750 man-made Canon Laws. Women and all their contributions have been ignored for nearly two thousand years. Enough!………………… We are trying our best to inform all curious people exactly what we are about.”
This article by Brendan Hoban is a fuller response from the ACP to the report on the Vatican Visitaion of the Irish Church than the short paragraph published here on 20 March (below).
It expresses both the aspects the ACP welcome in the document, and those the association has some concerns about.
Seán O Conaill argues that clergy-inspired shame over the phenomenon of sexuality has brought about the magisterium’s blindness to the effects of clerical abuse of children.
Fr James Martin SJ has written a ‘New Serenity Prayer’ — recommended to ACP and ACI members, bishops etc.
This is the talk given by Brendan Hoban to the Meeting of the ACP in Portlaoise on Thursday, June 2nd.
