There is “deep unease” among some members of the hierarchy over Vatican plans to slash the number of Irish dioceses.
Despite this, however, the Vatican is intent on pushing ahead with the reform a well-placed source has confirmed.
In comments, theologian Fr Vincent Twomey has also predicted that “they [Irish bishops] will resist it tooth and nail”.
The proposal – which could see the current 26 dioceses cut to just 11 – has been a key part of the Vatican’s plan for reform of the Church in Ireland.
The dioceses have been substantially unaltered for almost 1,000 years and the Vatican believes that fewer dioceses – and consequently fewer bishops – would make the Church here easier to run and more ‘fit for mission’ in a dramatically changed Ireland.
The proposal had been expected to feature more prominently in the synthesis of the findings of the Apostolic Visitation.
However, a well-placed source confirmed that many Irish bishops are “massively resistant” to the move and this is why the Holy See has agreed to a “joint reflection” on the issue.
The same source said that he believed “the Vatican has already made up its mind despite the bishops that cutting the number of dioceses is a necessary part of reform”.
It is understood that there will be substantial consultation with priests and lay people before dioceses are merged but that the end result will see many dioceses disappear.
The Vatican believes that dioceses should form a community of around 300,000 Catholics.
Many Irish dioceses have substantially fewer Catholics with some – particularly on the western seaboard – serving less than 40,000 Catholics.
“In this case you have a diocese where maybe only a 1/3 of people are going to Mass regularly, so there is an entire diocesan structure serving around 13,000 regular Massgoers – it’s unsustainable and the Vatican knows it,” the source said.
A committee appointed by the hierarchy has already had several meetings to discuss the plan.
However, substantial efforts will be made to try and limit any reform. Fr Twomey warned that “one way of trying to kill an idea is to set up a commission”.
Fr Twomey insists that the current status quo leads to “a considerable amount of demoralisation”.
He said many, “good Catholics and priests feel that they are second class citizens, that their voice carries no weight. Clearly there must be some reconfiguration of the dioceses so that resources can be properly distributed but there must also be a re-examination of the inner structure of dioceses so that the establishment of pastoral councils and other such bodies in parishes feed into a bigger system so that there is some genuine input on the part of laity into the way the Church is run,” he said.