The forthcoming Assembly of the Irish Church will be open to everyone who regard themselves as a member of the Church, according to a spokesperson for the Association of Catholic Priests (ACP).
Speaking to ciNews, Fr Brendan Hoban described the gathering, which is planned for the end of April or beginning of May, as an embryonic assembly, because a full assembly would take three to four years to organise. It is hoped that a bigger assembly can follow in time. We will be inviting bishops, priests, religious, laypeople and all the different organisations,” Fr Hoban said.
He made his comments following a meeting in Dublin of over seventy representatives of the ACP, priests, religious and lay Church groups to establish a committee to organise the assembly in twelve weeks’ time.
“We are planning into the future. This is part of the Irish Church too, it is not just what is going to happen at the International Eucharistic Congress,” the ACP founder said.
He told those who attended the meeting in Marianella in Dublin that they would be inviting to the Assembly, “all kinds of people, from the Legion of Mary to Opus Dei and the Irish bishops, everybody across the board, because we have to be inclusive. We have to recognise that they have as much right in our Church as we have to determine the shape of the future of our Church.”
Fr Brendan Hoban also called for the Irish Church to be given “room to breathe” by Rome.
“The relationship between the Church in Ireland and Rome has become a little bit skewed and needs to be looked at,” he said.
He explained to ciNews, “We have no problem with the central authority in Rome but everything that happens in the Irish Church shouldn’t be at the dictate of Rome. People will contrive to represent us as some kind of mad radicals who are trying to get rid of the Pope but the reality is that we have no problem with Rome. We feel that the connection or relationship between the Church in Ireland and Rome that was envisaged by the Second Vatican Council has become a little bit skewed.”
The Co Mayo-based parish priest said he realised that people would be critical of him and the ACP for expressing such views, but he said they should look at the facts.
“I am nearly 40 years ordained. I have been with the Catholic Church for 47 years now. If I was a mad radical I would be gone, I wouldn’t be here.”
The dates and details of the assembly have yet to be finalised.
Fr Hoban described last week’s preliminary meeting as a listening process.
“A lot of ideas came from the floor so all of that has to be taken on board by the organising committee now,” he said.
Explaining further, he said inclusivity was fundamental to what people are highlighting, spirituality is important, as well as ministry and sexuality.
"We aren’t being confrontational with anybody, we were setting out our stall and saying this is what we believe; this is what the people who are the Church want from their Church; this is the kind of priesthood they want and this is the kind of Church they want and this is the kind of parish they want. We would hope that through this particular committee, that this assembly would mirror what the Church needs and what it is that the people here want,” he said.