Since the founding of our association dialogue with the Irish bishops
has been a priority for us, the leadership team, and indeed also for
our members.
There have even been times when some of our members have
criticised us for what they perceived as a lack of urgency on our part
in pursuing this agenda.
Our first meeting with any members of the Hierarchy was in relation to
the introduction of the New Missal. We met with the relevant Episcopal
commission, which had three bishops as members.
There was some
discussion at that meeting, but unfortunately it did not have any effect
on the outcome, as we know.
At our insistent request there was a further meeting last Spring.
Three
members of the ACP leadership team met with two representatives of the
bishops’ conference.
It was a private meeting, very pleasant and
affable.
Sitting around the table there was almost no difference between
us on the issues we raised concerning the current state of the Church.
But at the end all that was made public was a formalised statement
containing little or no information.
This type of private meeting went
against what we have tried to do from the beginning, being open about
all our activities.
But we felt it was worth going along with this as a
first step. We also knew that more meetings like this would not serve
any useful purpose. There needed to be openness and transparency in our
dealing with the bishops in the future.
So, in late June of this year, we sent the following letter to Cardinal Brady:
Dear Cardinal,
There is little need to rehearse the elements of the present position of
the Catholic Church in Ireland: the decline of Mass attendance, the
lack of confidence in anything that has the name ‘Catholic¹, the steep
and sharp decline in vocations to the priesthood.
The Association of Catholic Priests believes that what is now needed is a
proactive emphasis on unity within our Church. The need for this
‘Communio’ has been voiced by Pope Benedict and has been the theme of
the recent Eucharistic Congress.
There are, as we know, huge ‘dis-connects’ in our Church that need to be
addressed: between people and priests; between priests and bishops;
between bishops and Rome.
These gulfs are damaging the Church, damaging the preaching of the Good
News, leading to a huge loss of confidence in our identity as Catholics
and in our ability to come to terms with our critical situation.
The Association of Catholic Priests believes that the current crisis
demands real engagement between the different groupings in the Irish
Catholic Church. Unless this engagement takes place it will not be
possible to plan strategically for the future of our church. There are
many people who still value their Catholic heritage and who want the
Christian message to be promulgated in a way that will challenge the
values of our time, as evidenced by the large participation in the IEC
and in our recent ‘assembly’ meeting in Dublin.
In seeking this engagement we consider four factors to be essential:
1. The present reality needs to be named. This necessitates that the
conversation includes all shades of opinion within our church – those
who are disaffected as well as those who believe that the rules must be
rigidly obeyed. The differing voices need to be heard; it is not good
enough to tell some people that if they are not happy with the present
rules to go elsewhere.
2. This process of engagement must give as strong a voice to the lay
parishioners as it does to the clergy and the bishops. We need to trust
that God is with His Church as surely when discordant and critical
voices are heard as when there is assent and agreement. As experience
indicates time and time again, there is a tangible energy, vibrancy and
enthusiasm when lay people are present in assemblies with clergy and
often a palpable sense of dejection, depression and sometimes almost
despair when clergy gather as a group.
3. We need to face the question as to what is going to happen as more
priests retire. The present clustering of parishes is, in our opinion,
not the answer. The question everyone is asking: what will we do now to
save the Irish Catholic Church from becoming, in twenty years time, a
Eucharist-free zone and, as the Eucharist is at the heart of Church,
from effective collapse?
Twenty years ago we could be excused for not facing that question on the
grounds that we were not fully aware of the pace of change that was
about to take place. This excuse is now gone. We need to urgently
address the challenge of providing a scaffolding of worship, of
ministry, of community – effectively, of Catholic life – within which
the Good News can be presented, valued, honoured and lived.
4. We need to communicate clearly and assertively to Rome the reality of
our present situation and to create the space in the Irish Church to
allow for the kind of conversation we need to have at parish, diocesan
and national level.
The Association of Catholic Priests, on behalf of our members,
respectfully and urgently requests that the Irish Episcopal Conference
respond positively to this proposal: to begin, in cooperation with
priests and people, a conversation about the future of our Catholic
Church that will move purposefully from a reflective consideration of
where we are to where it is God will lead us.
As a first step in this process, we request a meeting with the Episcopal Conference in the near future.
Pope Benedict has spoken about the need for the ‘renewal’ of the Irish
Church and the opportunities offered by the upcoming ‘Year of Faith’.
We
accept that analysis and that guidance. By listening to one another, by
hearing what is being said, by recognising both the limitations and the
opportunities of this time, by trusting in God’s Spirit to guide us on
the way, the Year of Faith could become a new springtime in our Church.
We stress that the Association of Catholic Priests is not ‘against’ the
Church. We are part of it, we care about it and we want it to survive.
We would like a response as soon as possible.
On behalf of the Association of Catholic Priests
Tony Flannery, Esker Retreat House, Athenry, Co. Galway, 087 6814699
Brendan Hoban, PP, Garranard, Ballina, Co Mayo. 086 6065055
PJ Madden, Graiguecullen, Carlow. 059 9141833
Sean McDonagh, SSC Dalgan Park, Navan, Co. Meath. 087 2367612
The reply eventually arrived in October.
It was as follows:
Dear Father Hoban,
Further to my letter of 24 July 2012, I write to let you know that your
correspondence was circulated to all members of the Irish Episcopal
Conference and discussed at the recent meeting of bishops.
The Bishops are of the opinion that engagement with the Association of
Catholic Priests would best take place at local level by using
established structures such as the Council of Priests.
With all good wishes etc
G Dullea
Executive Secretary
We are both disappointed and saddened by this response from our
bishops.
It is hard to understand why, in this time of great difficulty
for the Irish Church, neither the bishops as a body, or any individual
bishop, is willing to meet with an association that has a membership of
over one thousand priests.
We also note that Cardinal Seán Brady, in a letter to the ACP on May 1
of this year wrote that ‘the ACP has already met representatives of the
Bishops and also attended a meeting of a Commission of the Episcopal
Conference and we expect that there will be ongoing meetings of this
nature.’
No such “ongoing” meetings have taken place.
Given the reply which was
signed by Fr. G. Dullea is it foolish of the ACP to anticipate any
further meetings?