James Joyce once described Kingstown Pier as a “disappointed bridge”. Now known as Dun Laoghaire, it is also where most passenger ships arrive at and leave from Dublin both then and now. The idea of the Kingstown Pier as a disappointed bridge, unable to go all the way across the Irish Sea, says much about Read more
Forgiveness is an age-old practice central to the teaching of many of the world’s religions. In Islam, forgiveness suggests alignment with Allah. In Judaism, acts of atonement — or Teshuva — are expected for wrongdoing. In Christianity, forgiveness is unconditional, by loving one’s enemies as oneself. Throughout human history, religion and science have often been framed as conflicting Read more
With the calling of a worldwide Synod on Synodality, Pope Francis set in motion the most extensive consultative process the world has ever seen. In recent months, each diocese produced a report on its listening sessions, which were then synthesized by their national episcopal conferences. The conference reports were sent to Rome, where they were Read more
Cardinal Gerhard Müller, the former head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, has called the Synod on Synodality a potential “hostile takeover of the Church of Jesus Christ.” Pope Francis announced last week that he is adding an extra year to the Synod on Synodality. Pope Francis has described it as a Read more
The Catholic Church cannot avoid institutional change much longer because its institutional model, at least in the West, has passed its “use-by” date. One of the dominant models of perceiving the Church is the model of institution. This model’s decision-making structure is more oligarchical than collegial, and its approach to contemporary questions is preservationist rather Read more
Asking young men to take their clothes off in the context of confession… This extremely serious act – which the Catholic Church of France euphemistically translated as “voyeurism” – is exactly what Bishop Michel Santier did when he was the director of a School of Faith and leader of a new community. One is initially Read more
Clericalism cuts two ways, neither of which has been good for the church. Clerics, who believe they have all the answers and the power, tell the faithful what they can and cannot do. On the other side are laity, who nod off in the pews and leave the heavy lifting to priests and religious. The Read more
The Catholic Church has always been very good at baptising, marrying and burying people. Those who avail themselves of the liturgies that celebrate and solemnise these key moments of our Christian existence are often called cradle-to-grave Catholics. And if you believe the Vatican’s statistical office, we are growing in number. Its latest figures claim that Read more
Shutting small parish communities and merging them with a larger one is leaving people stranded. Covid’s remnants also leaves some people feeling vulnerable. For others, and for a possible range of reasons, the local parish is no longer spiritually nourishing. One woman, Betty Ann Asaro, and has become a remote parishioner at Saint Cecilia Church Read more
“The schismatics” is not the name of a new Broadway musical, but it might as well be. Some senior cardinals, deeply unhappy with the 2021-2022 round of the Catholic Church’s worldwide Synod on Synodality, seem to want the entire project to go away. It will not. The synod is projected to be a new-old way Read more