Former Irish president Mary McAleese has told a Sydney audience trying to be heard by the Church hierarchy is like shouting at children. About 1000 people at the Sydney Town Hall on September 7 heard her argue for a greater role for women in the Church. “The old boys’ club are going to have to Read more
Posts Tagged ‘Ireland’
Sydney Catholic paper refuses to advertise McAleese event
Tuesday, September 2nd, 2014
Sydney’s Catholic Weekly newspaper is refusing to run an advertisement for an event at which former Irish president Mary McAleese will speak. The reasons cited by Catholic Weekly editor Peter Rosengren are Ms McAleese’s views on homosexuality and the ordination of women. Ms McAleese is the guest of Catholic think-tank, Catalyst For Renewal, and will Read more
Record low intake at Ireland’s national seminary
Tuesday, September 2nd, 2014Ireland’s national seminary has reported a new low in this year’s intake of candidates, giving rise to fears of ancient parishes closing down. Just 13 men from seven dioceses will enter studies for the priesthood at Maynooth this year, down from 20 last year. Association of Catholic Priests co-founder Fr Brendan Hoban warned in The Read more
Freedom of Information law could apply to Irish church
Tuesday, August 26th, 2014A new law to be enacted in Ireland could make religious bodies that supply a service to the public subject to Freedom of Information law requests. That was what Ireland’s Department of Public Expenditure and Reform told Socialist MP Joe Higgins, who had asked if Freedom of Information legislation could be extended to cover records Read more
The reality of the Irish Church
Tuesday, June 17th, 2014
On the day that the papal nuncio to Ireland, Archbishop Charles Brown, told the US-based Catholic News Service that he saw “that Irish Catholicism had entered a new springtime,” representatives of the Association of Catholic Priests (ACP) were trying to convince a group of Irish bishops that the Irish Catholic Church was facing, among other Read more
Irish government sets up inquiry into mother and baby homes
Friday, June 13th, 2014The Irish government is to set up a formal investigation into issues in mother and baby homes, which were run by churches and the state. A special commission of investigation will examine the high mortality rates, burial practices and secret and illegal adoption and vaccine trials on children at these homes. Irish minister for children Read more
Young people leading new spring in Irish church, nuncio says
Friday, June 6th, 2014
Young people are helping to lead a rebirth of the Catholic Church in Ireland, the apostolic nuncio to that country believes. American-born Archbishop Charles Brown told the Catholic News Service that this rebirth is like spring after 20 years of winter. “You see a renewed enthusiasm among young Catholics in Ireland now,” Archbishop Brown said. Read more
Silenced priests: A question of conscience
Tuesday, March 25th, 2014
Let us talk about Catholic priests. Consider especially those who are now in their 60s, after a life of service to their church. They were seminarians in the heady days of Vatican II when everything seemed possible. They managed to survive the aftermath of was Humanae Vitae and continued to preach and counsel, to lead the sacred Read more
St Patrick: A prophet for global justice
Tuesday, March 18th, 2014
St Patrick is one of a handful of Christian saints, along with Mary, Valentine and Francis, that is celebrated in popular culture. His feast day is commemorated with supermarket meat sales, green rivers, green beer, and (my favourite) parades. But who was the real St Patrick? Most people know that the missionary Patrick (Patricius or Pádraig) Read more
Church sexual morality teachings not accepted in Ireland
Tuesday, March 11th, 2014Some Church teachings on sexual morality are poorly accepted and disconnected from real-life experiences of families, say Irish respondents to Vatican questions. Feedback from Dublin and Tuam archdioceses reveals a distinct gap between Church teaching and practice. Continue reading