English bishop lists Church troubles in blunt, sweeping statement

September 02, 2008

Parish priests in the Lancaster diocese describe the 92-page statement by Bishop Patrick O'Donoghue as "dynamite," the Catholic Herald reports. Pulling no punches, the bishop speaks about declining attendance, a shortage of priestly and religious vocations, and the failure of Catholics to counteract the corrosive influence of a secularized culture.

The bishop decries the "lack of ongoing formation and trained lay catechists," and laments the fact that "our of ongoing formation and trained lay catechists and prayer... our Church often seems inward looking, self-involved and detached from everyday life of our wider communities." Probing further, he finds that many weaknesses in the Catholic community can be traced to liberal teaching, "dismissing apostolic traditions and the doctrines of the Fathers and giving the place of honour to the fashionable opinions of society."

 

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Further information:

• Bishop: English Church has lost its way (Catholic Herald)
• Fit for Mission? Church Bishop O'Donoghoe's statement (pdf file)