Rev Pádraig McCarthy, RIP
The ACP Leadership regrets to note the death of Pádraig McCarthy, Dublin, RIP. Pádraig was a regular contributor to the ACP website.
To quote one colleague: Pádraig quite often took an unconventional approach in his writings.
However, he wrote with conviction, and was forensic, in critiquing some of the more difficult Reports of recent times.
Padraig was a good man who worked diligently at his ministering in all its various forms.
He is a great loss among us.
May his gentle and generous soul rest in peace.
Link to Pádraig’s funeral details (including funeral streaming link):
https://rip.ie/death-notice/fr-padraig-mccarthy-dublin-balally-596500
The death has occurred of
Fr. Pádraig McCarthy
Balally, Dublin / Dundrum, Dublin
Peacefully, in the care of the staff of St Charles Ward at St Vincent’s University Hospital. Very sadly missed by his loving family, sisters Mary Ridgway and Ita Lawler, brother Justin, nieces, nephews, grandnieces, grandnephews, relatives, fellow clergy, and friends both near and far. Pre-deceased by his brothers Diarmuid, Donal and Gerard.
Rest in Peace
Reposing at Fanagans Funeral Home, Dundrum on Tuesday evening (10th June) from 5pm to 7pm. Removal on Wednesday morning (11th June) to the Church of the Ascension Of The Lord, Balally arriving for Funeral Mass at 10am followed by burial in Deans Grange Cemetery.
Go ndéana Dia trócaire ar a anam dílis.
A grand fellow, whom one imagined would be around forever. Well, the Lord’s time is not what we imagine. Let’s hope to meet in that locum refrigerii, lucis et pacis.
I had great time for Pádraig McCarthy. I got to know him at the start of the ACP, fifteen years ago. He was a steady supporter from the very beginning. My main contact with him was when a number of Dublin priests attempted to critique the Murphy Report. Seán McDonagh and myself represented the ACP in that endeavour. At the time it was about as good an illustration of ‘swimming against the tide’ as you could imagine. But Pádraig was totally at home in that project, because his natural inclination was to question accepted views, and to present a contrary way of looking at things. He eventually wrote a book on the subject, Unheard Story. It was a brave thing to do, but he was determined that there would be some record for posterity that there was an alternative way of evaluating that whole sorry mess in his diocese.
We normally wish that people will rest in peace, but I suspect in this instance that whoever controls the heavenly abode might have a little less peace when Pádraig gets his feet under the table and finds his voice.
I will miss his contributions to this website, and also to the letters page of the Irish Times.
This is a shock indeed! How come we get to thinking that people who turn up so regularly will be doing that always?
We often disagreed, Pádraig and myself, but were on the same page in our last exchange – on the need for a theology of the Cross that explains it in terms of our own liberation rather than God the Father’s need for satisfaction for sin (CCC 615).
https://associationofcatholicpriests.ie/sean-o-conaill-patsy-mcgarry-and-catholic-atonement-theology/
Rest up now Pádraig – but you’ll be asking questions also I think. That restless mind was always wanting to make sense of everything!
So sorry to hear of the death of our daily beloved ACP member Pádraig McCarthy. He was generous in his replies to various articles and comments on this website. A truly pastoral priest with a very reflective mind. He will be sadly missed.
Pat Rogers
Pádraig was a great source of truth, a mighty man for the text and context. He was generous with his knowledge and sharing his enthusiasm. May he be blessed with peace.
I am so sad to hear of Pádraig’s death. He made such a contribution to our ACP site and, I am told, to his brother priests in the Dublin archdiocese.
We didn’t always agree but he was one of the great educators of those us who were part of the ongoing discourse on this site. I was truly grateful to him.
I remember, for example, learning of Vehementer Nos ( Pius X ) for the first time, many years ago now, from Pádraig.
May he now rest in God’s eternal peace.🙏🙏
Pádraig, That coffee we were due to have is now postponed indefinitely. I did a message on the Condolences, but it hasn’t appeared. I watched the funeral Mass from Balally Church and that went off after ten minutes. However, I do want to say a few words on Pádraig.
Pádraig’s voice has gone quiet. That is a great loss. Pádraig’s voice was different; was very direct. He was always willing to produce an alternative view. He did that when the Reports on Sexual Abuse appeared. He questioned the methodology and the logic. He didn’t deny anything or never hid from the reality. He did query the logic and was relentless in savaging any ‘non sequiturs.’ He continued that in his many letters to the papers and was upset when some weren’t published. He was very strong on the 8th Amendment process and felt accuracy of language was very flawed and faulty. He produced a booklet at the time which was very clear and precise. He even asked me to check it out and critically examine every sentence. I found that rather humbling.
Pádraig also had a sense of mischief in his writing and was rather content to sit back when some got rather angry about what he had written. He liked being unconventional. His voice was so important among us on the ACP. We miss him. We also miss Eddie Finnegan. Both of them brought challenging words to us. Pádraig was fearless. Eddie was very strong and also very clear.
There was never clutter in Pádraig’s articles. Every word had to carry its own weight and be unequivocal. Pádraig and myself had many a chat online. He responded frequently to something I had written in my scribbles. His sense of history; his sense of poetry; his sense of the Irish Heritage, was inspirational. Pádraig was a serious minister of Jesus Christ and of the Good News. Bless him. For his tenacity; for his commitment to stretching the muscles of faith in today’s world.
Seamus Ahearne osa
Pádraig was one of those people who combined a deep love of the People of God with a warm gentleness and a great store of common sense. We are all poorer for his passing. May he rest in peace.
I too feel a great sense of loss at Pádraig’s death. He was such a lively contributor to religious and social discussions both on this side and through the letters to the paper. I valued him very highly and firmly hope that he is at peace in the arms of God.
Pat Rogers cp
Seamus@7, I didn’t realise that Eddie had left us. How did I miss that?!
Another great mind has left us.
Rest in peace,Eddie 🙏🙏
I was sorry to hear of Pádraig’s death. He became a member of the Irish group BASIC (Brothers and Sisters in Christ) which pursued equality for women in the church, including ordination. It wasn’t a very popular option in the mid 90’s after Ordinatio Sacerdatolis! I am sure that Pádraig got a great welcome from his patron Saint, Saint Patrick: Pádraig did a lot to make him better known and accessible to a large public, producing a very readable, accurate translation of Patrick’s Confession (Royal Irish Academy 2011). I treasure my copy with Pádraig’s words of dedication. May he enjoy the fullness of eternal life.