Wednesday 9 May 2012

The future of the RC church

I read that an organisation which represents more than 850 Roman Catholic priests in Ireland met earlier this week to discuss the future direction of the Irish RC Church. 
Ireland is mostly a very Catholic country but when you look at the points of view expressed you see how it is becoming radical. Is this the beginning of a new reformation?
"The Vatican has recently criticised leading members of the Association of Catholic Priests (ACP) for expressing views which contradict Church teaching.  The ACP recently commissioned a survey of Irish Catholics which found that 90% would support the introduction of married priests. The survey also found that 77% of Irish Catholics want women to be ordained, while more than 60% disageed with Church teaching that gay relationships were immoral. At the time, Fr Brendan Hoban from the ACP said the results were proof that the perception of Irish Catholics as traditionalist, conservative and resistant to change was wrong." -- BBC
The serious shortage of priests means that Ireland's Roman catholic church cannot carry on as before. The parishes are importing African and Polish priests just to keep going and old priests don't retire - they carry on until they drop. Can Pope Joe Ratzinger (AKA Benidict) squash this demand for reform as he has with so many other calls for reform. (He has been successful in winding back most of the radical changes introduced at Vatican II). Is the Cathoilic church waiting with baited breath for him to be "promoted to glory" so that they can open the floodgates to the modern world.
We live in interesting times. 

Photo source - I took it myself of an old crucifix I found in a charity shop

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