Many causes, including covering up child abuse scandals, underlie this significant power shift.
But the reaction of the bishops to the Protection of Life in Pregnancy Bill indicates that the gulf between the hierarchy and the broad sweep of people in this country is becoming ever wider and that Ireland is changing from being Catholic to a secular country.
The results of two referenda on the highly emotive proposal to introduce limited abortion here, in line with the Supreme Court ruling on the X case, have shown clearly that more than 80% of citizens support the Government’s initiative to legislate for circumstances where a pregnant woman’s life is at risk.
Nonetheless, this proposal was described by Cardinal Brady personally and in a statement by all the bishops as a “dramatic and morally unacceptable change to Irish law”.
Given the unyielding doctrinal position of the global church on the abortion question in theological, philosophical, ethical or medical terms, the reality is that the Irish bishops have no room whatsoever for manoeuvre, no scope for shifting to more views in a debate that promises to be complex, controversial, and highly divisive.
As witnessed in the print media, on television and radio, the ink was no sooner dry on the bill than a bitter war of words had broken out between people on both sides of the argument, leaving little if any space for movement.
In Cardinal Brady’s view the bill is unnecessary to ensure that women receive “the life-saving treatment they need during pregnancy”. While they had not studied the text in detail, he said the bishops objected to making the “direct and intentional killing of unborn children lawful”.
“We appreciate and have compassion and feeling for mothers who find themselves in difficulty,” he added. “But we don’t believe that killing the child is the solution. The solution is to bring care and love and support to women who find themselves in that situation.”
How those sentiments would be greeted by Praveen Halappanavar, whose wife died having been refused a termination in Galway Regional Hospital, can only be imagined.
While waiting to see the final text of the bill, the cardinal emphasised that if Catholic hospitals were denied “fundamental religious freedom”, a legal challenge remained an option.
In a graphic sense, the bishops are now on a collision course with Government and, arguably, with any politician that supports the legislation. So far, they have not discussed banning politicians who support the bill from receiving communion, an extreme tactic gaining traction in America. It is unclear if such a ban will be imposed here.
Yet, the cardinal has pointedly reminded politicians of their obligation to oppose laws that attacked something as fundamental as the right to life.
Refusing politicians communion in their local parish church, would possibly mean banning Taoiseach Enda Kenny, a practicing Catholic.
It smacks of another era and would undoubtedly further undermine the already tarnished image of the Church and alienate wider sections of the community.
Tánaiste Eamonn Gilmore spoke for people on both sides of the argument when he said the bishops were entitled to their view.
Equally emphatic, however, he reminded them that Ireland is a democratic country and that the laws were made by elected representatives of the people.