chris@mcdonnell83.freeserve.co.uk           Previous articles by Chris

   August 1, 2012                              Chris McDonnell, UK       

This is where we are, so what should we do?  

Two issues come to mind from this week’s news. It would appear that the door has not been closed on dialogue between the Vatican and the SSPX. It will be interesting to see how far the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei is willing to compromise with the Society on issues where they reject the teaching and authority of the Second Vatican Council.  

We seem to be willing to come to understandings in some areas yet in others a rigid conformity is maintained, for the other item of news this week refers to the warning by Fr Brendan Hoban, a spokesman for the Association of Catholic Priests, that the shortage of priests in Ireland in the coming years is likely to reach alarming proportions unless the issue is addressed with urgency.  

Central to our faith is the celebration as a community of the Eucharist. Yet all the pointers from Ireland and many other countries indicate diminishing numbers of men in our seminaries preparing for ordination. We really must address this issue and not leave it to a rapidly approaching time of crisis. In the meantime, those men who are serving in parishes, an aging group, take on an ever-greater workload that can only lead to burnout and exhaustion. It is surely significant that it is the groups of priests forming Associations in different countries who are raising their voices for realistic solutions whilst the Bishops seem more concerned with keeping the ship afloat, with short term fixes.  

There is a common saying that if something isn’t broke, then don’t fix it. But if something is about to snap, it would be pure negligence not to take restorative action to put things right That’s where we are, so what should we do? More and more we hear voices that seek to solve our present problems with yesterday’s solutions; that just won’t work. Our enthusiasm for a pilgrim church can only be sustained by a clear understanding of the society of which we are part and our ability to communicate with the people of our time.

And yes, the Games have begun. Enjoy!