Month: March 2016

On the eve of Holy Thursday Pádraig McCarthy reminds us of the cost of true discipleship in many parts of the world with reports of the death of Fr. Vincent Machozi in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Coming so soon after the murder in Yemen of four religious sisters, Sisters Anselm, Marguerite, Regina, and Judith, of the Missionaries of Charity, the religious order founded by Mother Teresa, it highlights the immense dangers now faced by so many Christians who seek to practice their faith in a very disturbed world. Twelve others who worked with the sisters as volunteer aides were killed on 04 March by members of ISIS.

Sean O’Conaill argues that with the continuity of Catholic faith in Ireland now seriously in question – and with controversy growing over equal access to primary schooling for all – it is time to abandon school-centred Catholic faith formation as a catastrophic failure.

Pádraig McCarthy writes about an unusual “co-incidence” in the date of Good Friday this year. It won’t occur again until 2157.

Happy Spring Equinox and Holy Week.

Seamus Ahearne contrasts the, sadly failed, herculean efforts of one national ex-serviceman to exercise his right to cast his vote in the recent general election with the ‘The squabbling and childishness of many of the TDs (that) dishonours the flag and our country.’
But Seamus concludes that “Yes, I should be more gentle with our politicians and the electors – we probably all suffer from the same ‘sin’ of today. The immediate and the superficial and obvious is all we can cope with.”

Next week, Hans Küng, the Catholic priest and Swiss theologian, will mark his 88th birthday. The fifth volume of his complete works, titled Infallibility, has just become available from the German publishing house Herder. In connection with the release of Infallibility, Küng has written the following “urgent appeal to Pope Francis to permit an open and impartial discussion on infallibility of pope and bishops.” The text of his urgent appeal was released simultaneously by National Catholic Reporter and The Tablet.
“Receive this comprehensive documentation and allow a free, unprejudiced and open-ended discussion in our church of the all the unresolved and suppressed questions connected with the infallibility dogma.”

Tony Flannery writes of his experience of a funeral celebrated with love and dignity.
“God was just as surely present there today, not just in the host and the wine, but in the gathering of the people, and the way in which they surrounded the mourners with love. “
“It was sad, it was emotional, but it was also at some deep, mysterious level, beautiful.
Sometimes it is good to be part of this too often broken Church. Today was one of those days.”

We extend our sympathy to all of Tadhg Mc Donnell’s family and friends, especially his wife Kathleen, and sons John and Patrick.
May he rest in peace.

Sean McDonagh, at the U.S. launch of his book ‘On Care for our Common Home, Laudato Si’ published by Orbis Books, gives a report on the grotesque, unbelievable, bizarre and unprecedented farce that is passing for political debate in the republican presidential primary contests.

Brendan Hoban, in the Western People, gives his thoughts on a very topical subject at present; should the church ever refuse a funeral Mass?
Brendan says “One of the most difficult truths of the Christian faith is that no one is beyond the reach of God’s mercy. No one. This is easy to understand in theory but a difficult concept to accept in practice.”
“So whether it’s the funeral of an IRA bomber during the troubles in the North or a priest pedophile buried in the dead of night or gangsters who have brought incredible suffering to countless individuals and families, that one truth applies to everyone. None of them is beyond the extended reach of God’s love and moderating that reach is not an option for a Christian church.
Jesus Christ expressed that truth clearly in just two words in Luke 6:37, ‘Judge not’ “.

Pádraig McCarthy raises the issue of the reducing number of men showing an interest in Christianity. He refers us to an interesting article by Charles Horejsi, a retired University of Montana professor of Social Work.