Visitator to report that Irish church is near collapse, priest says
Monday, February 14, 2011
Comments (4)
ShareThis
DUBLIN (CNS) -- Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley reportedly will tell Pope Benedict XVI that the Catholic Church in Ireland is "on the edge" of collapse due to the fallout from clerical abuse scandals.
Cardinal O'Malley is one of several senior prelates charged by Pope Benedict with carrying out an apostolic visitation of the Irish Catholic Church following a series of highly critical judicial reports that revealed abuse by priests and a widespread culture of cover-up for decades among church leaders.
Father Tony Flannery, a leading member of the Association of Catholic Priests, revealed at a conference of laypeople Feb. 12 in the Irish capital that "Cardinal O'Malley told the association the Irish Church had a decade, at most, to avoid falling over the edge and becoming like other European countries where religion is marginal to society."
Father Flannery said Cardinal O'Malley gave a commitment to the priests' association that he would deliver the frank assessment to the pope in a confidential report to be submitted later this year.
Admitting to being previously skeptical about the apostolic visitation, Father Flannery said that in light of Cardinal O'Malley's undertaking, "there may be some gleam of hope."
Cardinal O'Malley could not be reached for comment.
In a mid-November statement, the Vatican said it would issue a comprehensive summary of the investigations' findings when they are completed.
Father Flannery said that while the association was ready to campaign for radical change, it was apprehensive that it would be viewed as "a new clericalism."
The association, which represents more than 400 of Ireland's 4,500 priests, was formed in 2010. It has proposed a re-evaluation of the church's teaching on sexuality and the inclusion of women at every level within the church.
The first phase of the visitation should be completed by Easter, and it is likely the visitators will meet with senior officials of the Roman Curia in the spring to discuss what Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman, described as the next phase of the "path to renewal."
Copyright © 2011 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
Path of Renewal
By Nameless 1 (not verified) on Tuesday, February 15, 2011Father Federico Lombardi's "path to renewal."
Should go like this. Walk door to door from town to town and beg forgiveness from everyone then open up the secret files for the world to see the stain of corruption brought upon the earth by these princes of the church.
Sean P. O'Malley says 10 years. Well look around Sean, the church is in a death spiral, and when it all falls asunder don't go blaming those who exposed you. Blame yourself for allowing it to happen. "Listen,is that a death rattle I hear"?
In the afterlife Jacob Marley wore the chains he forged in life. So too will all those clergy who have harmed children by wearing a millstone around their neck.
End of theocracy in Ireland
By Anonymous (not verified) on Tuesday, February 15, 2011This is a re-post of a previous comment that belongs here.
The New York Times published a piece on Ireland and how the abuse crisis may be causing its people and government to disentangle from the institutional power of the Church.
This is a preview from Ireland with Irish comments.
http://www.irishcentral.com/news/New-York-Times-Magazine-says-Irish-turn...
This is the article.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/13/magazine/13Irish-t.html
The theocracy that was the Republic of Ireland since independence and is hopefully ending is what Retro American Caholics in their "orthodox" fantasies wish for here.
Anyone who wants to know what a country run by the Catholic Church looks like should read this article. They should also look at the photos and surnames of rapist priests in this country, most recently Philadelphia. I'm proud of my Irish roots but it's undeniable, most share them.
There needs to be an absolute separation of church and state in this country and all countries. I pray for the country of my ancestors it will happen in Ireland.
Wish they would get the
By macon church (not verified) on Tuesday, February 15, 2011Wish they would get the Church back to normal. Lots of reputation cleaning needs to be done.
Cardinal O'Malley
By CER1940 (not verified) on Monday, February 14, 2011I wonder if Cardinal O'Malley will also report that the RCC in the USA is also on the brink, that there are insufficient priests and that churches are being closed in many if not most dioceses. Mass attendance is only a fraction of the number of catholics that the church claims. Actually what difference does it make what O'Mally or anyone else reports to the pope there is not going to be any reform in this rotten organization.
U.S. Catholic insists on a civil and respectful dialogue on our website, following our Comment policy. Comments should be charitable, on topic, and brief. U.S. Catholic reserves the right to delete comments deemed inappropriate. Links are not allowed and comments with them will be moderated or deleted. We encourage you to choose your words wisely.
