American cardinal to report crisis in Irish Church?
February 14, 2011
An American cardinal will tell Pope Benedict XVI that the Church in Ireland is facing a danger of “national collapse,” according to reports in the Irish press.
Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston, who is conducting an apostolic visitation in the Dublin archdiocese, reportedly promised a group of Irish priests that he would report to the Pontiff that the Irish Church is in urgent need of reform.
Editor’s note: These media reports should be read with some caution for two reasons: First, the reports came not from Cardinal O’Malley but from representatives of the Association of Catholic Priests, a dissident group with its own agenda. Second, Cardinal O’Malley, whose Boston archdiocese has suffered unprecedented losses during his tenure, is unlikely to overstate the problems facing another local Church.
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Further information:
- Catholic Church nearing collapse here, Pope told (Irish Herald)
- Pope to be told church here 'on edge of collapse' (Irish Independent)
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Posted by: AgnesDay -
Feb. 15, 2011 1:38 PM ET USA
Not to minimize the need for action from the hierarchy, what the Irish Church (and by extension, the Church as a whole) needs is for God to raise up saints. That means us. What is asked for is not being listened to, but being obedient and self-sacrificial. That means you and me.
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Posted by: -
Feb. 14, 2011 6:51 PM ET USA
You are correct ILM. At the minute, there is all sorts of talk about 'listening exercises', yet it seems to me that the Church leadership is, by and large, not listening to Rome, particularly the Pope, where the remedy lies. The thinking seems to be to listen to the laity and ask them what they think, even though most of the laity haven't a clue, and the priests and bishops would appear to be not too far behind.
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Posted by: ILM -
Feb. 14, 2011 4:18 PM ET USA
Giving laymen and women a greater say in decision-making is not what the Irish Church needs. What the Church needs is a truly holy clergy that fearlessly preaches the truth.
