Sir, – In the wake of the disciplining of two Irish priests some Catholic commentators have gone so far as to suggest that priests and indeed any Catholic who questions church teaching should leave the church and go find another one. In other words they should excommunicate themselves.
Not even the Vatican was suggesting that questioning priests or Catholics should be excommunicated, so it seems more than presumptuous – not to mention uncharitable – of others to suggest that those of us who sometimes question things should be excluded from our church.
What will these commentators think of the gospel this Sunday, I wonder? Here we have an apostle (Thomas) doubting the church’s teaching that Jesus had risen from the dead! Without his scepticism, his search for the truth the reality of the resurrection could hardly have been so profound for the young church. Blessed are those who doubt, for they do us all a service. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – The Roman Catholic Church is the hugest and oldest organisation on earth, and its discipline is maintained not only by core creeds and rituals, but by a set of shibboleths or litmus tests such as celibacy or the contraception ban. These are an electric fence that keep liberals at bay, allowing them to be targeted as “dissenters”.
It does not matter if in practice those proscriptions are widely flouted – they can be revived in force at any time, they provide permanent grounds for silencing, and they keep everyone, especially priests and theologians, playing a servile game of “how much I can get away with?”. The majority of Catholics, or at least a vocal plurality, want it that way.
The Vatican visitors have reached for this weapon of “orthodoxy” again, calling for yet another crackdown on “dissent”. A fully open discussion of the human problems of the church seems quite impossible within this system, unless through a council. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – Pobal Dé is a group of committed and practising Catholics that has been in existence for more than 25 years. Acting from within our church in a non-radical way, our aim has been to promote an inclusive church. To this end, it has held a conference every year which provides a forum for the trustful and open dialogue identified at the Second Vatican Council as an indispensable element in the renewal of the Catholic Church.
Some priests are concerned that unless the parameters for ordination are extended many Catholics,women, men and children will be left without access to the Sacraments. Should not the concern of such priests be welcomed and if they express that concern, should they not be listened to? In the belief that decisions in the Christian community are best arrived at by means of respectful dialogue and prayerful discernment in the community with authority of the Magisterium exercised as service, Pobal Dé wishes to express its full and strong support for Fr Tony Flannery, Fr Gerry Moloney and the Association of Catholic Priests. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – Two recent exercises of hierarchical authority within the Catholic Church have created some controversy.
One in Ireland was the disciplining of Fr Tony Flannery for his unorthodox writings. The other was the American Catholic hierarchy’s opposition to the recent government mandate that the health insurance provided by religious institutions provide coverage for contraceptives. Significantly, the hand of Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York is present in both.
He was one of the apostolic visitors who recently examined the state of the church in Ireland and found some priests at variance to the church’s Magisterium.
As president of the council of American bishops he is in the forefront of the opposition to the mandate for contraceptive coverage.
Significantly, neither exercise invokes political authority to achieve its purpose.
Fr Flannery has not been imprisoned, but has only been asked to conform to the vow of obedience he took upon entering his order and upon being ordained.
The American government is not being asked to outlaw contraceptives, but to respect the religious liberties of those who disapprove of them.
On the other hand, many of those anxious to change the Catholic Church in Ireland seem disposed to call upon the State to achieve their aims. The most obvious instance would be the campaign to minimise religion in education and probably ultimately secularise schools entirely.
It has an interesting parallel in the Tudor confiscation of the monasteries in Britain and Ireland in the 16th century, which was linked to the establishment of a national church, free from Rome.
That same doctrinally comprehensive or accommodating church is remarkable for its shrinking number of adherents. A separate Irish Catholic Church would probably meet the same fate. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – You listed the address for letter-writer Damian O’Maonaigh (April 13th) as “An Chóiré Thuaidh, Tir Chonaill”.
I got quite a shock to see someone's address listed as "North Korea, Co Donegal" (and Tir takes a fada). I immediately thought there must be a mistake with my Irish, and checked the national Irish terminology database, focal.ie. However, there was no mistake. I would appreciate it if you would clarify this mistake in your publication. – Is mise,
A chara, – The epistolatory debate on the censure of dissent within the Roman Catholic Church continues to be both informative and entertaining. In support of censure, Mary Stewart (April 12th) argues that “No one is forced into the Catholic Church and people are free to leave at any time.” and John Ferry (April 11th) is adamant that “the Vatican has a sacred obligation to investigate any religious whose teaching is contrary to that of the church”. But even in the slow-moving Roman Catholic Church, change does occur.
Tony Corcoran (April 11th) makes reference to some of the more recent changes that show a hierarchy in tune with its congregation. Galileo Galilei has been vindicated and it would be a very naive cleric who would advocate the reintroduction of the sale of indulgences as a revenue stream.
Will the hard-liners hold sway? Will the dissenters walk? Will this debate continue to over-shadow the other soap-operas? – Is mise,