What Is Authentic Christian Reform?

Cardinal Avery Dulles with Pope St John Paul II

What is authentic Christian reform? In the last few centuries that word, "reform", has bandied about willy-nilly and has become the catch-call of a certain type of revolutionary. It goes without saying that reform is a necessary part of life and most essential in the life of the Church. At the moment in the Church we are hearing a lot about reform and that the Holy Father has been sent to us to spearhead, at last, an authentic reform in the Church, one which will bring the institution into the modern world, make it more compassionate, pastoral and real.

To make the Church of Jesus Christ modern, compassionate, pastoral and real.....?

So what is authentic reform? Well I am indebted to the folks over at Catholicus Nua for a post directing me to the teaching of Cardinal Avery Dulles, one of the greatest modern theologians who, drawing on the work of another great theologian, Yves Congar OP, offers a number of principals which need to be assessed to see if the current programme being proposed by some in the Church is actually authentic Christian reform, or just another attempt to undermine the teaching of the Church, teaching that is grounded in revelation. You can read the Catholicus Nua post here, or you can read Cardinal Dulles's original article in First Things here. But I have copied and pasted, for your convenience, some of the main points:

1) According to Congar, “the great law of a Catholic reformism will be to begin with a return to the principles of Catholicism.” Vatican II, echoing his words, taught that “every renewal of the Church essentially consists in an increase of fidelity to her own calling” (UR 6).

Catholicism derives its principles from God by way of revelation. The most authoritative guidance comes from Holy Scripture understood in the light of apostolic tradition, inasmuch as this is the normative channel whereby revelation is transmitted. In his reform of the liturgy, Pius X issued a call to return to the sources (Revertimini ad fontes). Pius XII declared that speculation becomes sterile if it neglects to return continually to the sacred sources of Scripture and tradition, which contain inexhaustible treasures of truth.

2) Any reform conducted in the Catholic spirit will respect the Church’s styles of worship and pastoral life. It will be content to operate within the Church’s spiritual and devotional heritage, with due regard for her Marian piety, her devotion to the saints, her high regard for the monastic life and the vows of religion, her penitential practices, and her eucharistic worship. A truly Catholic reform will not fanatically insist on the sheer logic of an intellectual system but will take account of concrete possibilities of the situation, seeking to work within the framework of the given.

3) A genuinely Catholic reform will adhere to the fullness of Catholic doctrine, including not only the dogmatic definitions of popes and councils, but doctrines constantly and universally held as matters pertaining to the faith. In this connection cognizance will be taken of the distinction made by Vatican II between the deposit of faith and the formulations of doctrine. Because human thought and language are inevitably affected by cultural and historical factors, it may be necessary from time to time to adjust the language in which the faith has been proclaimed. Repeated in a new situation, the old formulations can often be misleading, as instanced by the examples of Baius and Jansenius in the seventeenth century. These scholars quoted Augustine to the letter but did not take account of the changed meaning of his words.

4) True reform will respect the divinely given structures of the Church, including the differences of states of life and vocations. Not all are equipped by training and office to pronounce on the compatibility of new theories and opinions with the Church’s faith. This function is, in fact, reserved to the hierarchical magisterium, though the advice of theologians and others will normally be sought.

5) A reform that is Catholic in spirit will seek to maintain communion with the whole body of the Church, and will avoid anything savoring of schism or factionalism. St. Paul speaks of anger, dissension, and party spirit as contrary to the Spirit of God (Galatians 5:20). To be Catholic is precisely to see oneself as part of a larger whole, to be inserted in the Church universal.

6) Reformers will have to exercise the virtue of patience, often accepting delays. Congar finds Luther especially lacking in this virtue. But even Luther, stubborn and unyielding though he often was, cautioned his disciple Andreas Karlstadt on the importance of proceeding slowly, so as not to offend simple believers who were unprepared for changes that were objectively warranted. Prudent reformers will recognize that they themselves stand under correction, and that their proposals, even if valid, may be premature. As Newman reminded his readers, there is such a thing as a good idea whose time has not yet come. Depending on the circumstances, Church authorities may wisely delay its acceptance until people’s imaginations become accustomed to the innovation.

7) As a negative criterion, I would suggest that a valid reform must not yield to the tendencies of our fallen nature, but must rather resist them. Under color of reform, we are sometimes tempted to promote what flatters our pride and feeds our self-interest, even though the gospel counsels humility and renunciation. Persons who have prestige, influence, and power usually want to retain and increase these; those who lack them want to acquire them. Both groups must undergo conversion.

8) For similar reasons we must be on guard against purported reforms that are aligned with the prevailing tendencies in secular society. One thinks in this connection of the enormous harm done in early modern times by nationalism in religion, a major factor contributing to the divisions of the Reformation era and to the enfeeblement of the Catholic Church during the Enlightenment. The liturgical and organizational reforms of Joseph II in Austria, the Civil Constitution on the Clergy enacted in France in 1790, the extreme liberalism of Félicité de Lamennais early in the nineteenth century, and the evolutionary religion of the Modernists at the dawn of the twentieth century ” all these movements afford examples of initiatives perfectly attuned to the spirit of their times but antithetical to the true character of Catholic Christianity.

In our day the prevailing climate of agnosticism, relativism, and subjectivism is frequently taken as having the kind of normative value that belongs by right to the word of God. We must energetically oppose reformers who contend that the Church must abandon her claims to absolute truth, must allow dissent from her own doctrines, and must be governed according to the principles of liberal democracy.

False reforms, I conclude, are those that fail to respect the imperatives of the gospel and the divinely given traditions and structures of the Church, or which impair ecclesial communion and tend rather toward schism. Would-be reformers often proclaim themselves to be prophets, but show their true colors by their lack of humility, their impatience, and their disregard for the Sacred Scripture and tradition.

So, can we see any of these in what is being proposed? Can we see any of them in the manner in which certain things are being proposed?

Ireland's "Pope"

St Malachy today. If ever there was an Irish prelate who would have made an excellent pope, it would, in my humble opinion, have been Malachy. He would have been a reforming pope in the style, I think, of Pope St Gregory VII. Certainly in Ireland in the three dioceses he governed he proved himself to be an able and committed reformer, a man who understood the nature of true reform and how to achieve it.  He was a man of intense personal sanctity, of humble and kind charity towards others, of prudent and innovative zeal and he had a heart capable of the deepest loving relationships, as we see in his friendship with St Bernard. 

Malachy was born in what is now the city of Armagh, the son of a schoolteacher. In his youth he became a disciple of Eimar a hermit. Ordained a priest of Armagh his bishop, St Celsus, recognised the young man's potential, appointing him his Vicar General Celsus he initiated the young man into his hopes and efforts at reform of the Church in Ireland. Celsus is one of our great reformers, a man of great sanctity himself, and he apprenticed Malachy in his virtues and ideas. After continuing studies under St Malchus of Lismore, when the Abbot of Bangor died Malachy was appointed to succeed him, and as in Ireland Abbots often headed dioceses, Malachy was appointed and consecrated Bishop of Connor. In the providence of God it was an important step to prepare him to succeed Celsus as Archishop of Armagh and Primate. As Bishop of Connor he was effective in carrying out various reforms. 

On his deathbed, in 1129, Celsus named Malachy as his successor. However, as Malachy was not of the same clan as Celsus, and the seat of Armagh had been in the hands of the Clann Sinaig for some time, there was a dispute. The clan imposed Murtagh, Celsus's cousin, as Archbishop, an illegal action, and so legally the see remained vacant until Malachy was able to claim it. He was enthroned in 1132 but could only enter the see in 1134 when Murtagh died, though there was conflict as he tried to take possession of the cathedral. Indeed one of Murtagh's relations, Niall, St Celsus's brother, fled with the relics, books and St Patrick's crozier in an attempt to invalidate Malachy's taking office. Though some acknowledged Niall as Archbishop because these symbols of the office were in his possession, Malachy took control and eventually regained possession of the symbols and won the hearts of the people.

Malachy's great reforming work continued in earnest. Now as Primate he had the ability to extend his plans for reform all over Ireland. Armagh was at peace, but much of Ireland was in a disastrous state. The Church in Ireland had grown lax in faith, in the observance of the liturgy, in morals and all because certain individuals sought to empower themselves in the Church. A large part of the blame lay with lay-abbots in the ancient monasteries. These lay men had obtained these offices and used them and their revenue to boost their lifestyles and prestige. In reality the Church in Ireland had become nothing more than an institution to bolster these lay people in lives quite contrary to the Gospel. The clergy had acquiesced in this and their own lax morals and slothful practice of the faith was at the very least bordering on scandalous. And this regime had its defenders, not quite a medieval version of the ACP, not too far off it in resistance to authentic reform. 

Malachy struggled to sort out the mess, and he had a great deal of opposition to deal with. The Irish have great virtues, but also great vices, and like the Sicilians we can harbour resentment and nurture revenge for generations, And some of those Malachy tried to reform responded in like manner to his efforts. But he laboured on and his work bore fruit: he restored discipline, encouraged a return to Christian morality - even among clergy, he had the Roman Liturgy adopted, he regularised and promoted marriages, restored the practice of confession (in their laxity the Irish thought they had no need of the sacrament, like today!) and he confirmed thousands who had never received that sacrament. On top of all this, indeed assisting him in his endeavours, he was a miracle worker, a lover of the poor and needy. According to one tradition he planted apple trees all over his diocese to provide food in times of famine.

This is a lifetime's work, but Malachy did it all in three years. Exhausted, he resigned his see in 1137 and retired, taking up the position of Bishop of Down, a smaller and less hectic diocese then. He continued his reforming work there and established religious communities.  In 1138 he traveled to Rome and on the way met St Bernard at Clairvaux and so began one of the most endearing and fruitful friendships in the history of the Church. Malachy was taken with the life at the abbey in Clairvaux and he sought permission to enter, however Pope Innocent II refused it, he had work for Malachy and with this in mind he appointed him Papal Legate in Ireland. Returning to Ireland he consoled himself by bringing Bernard's monks to Ireland, establishing the first Irish Cistercian monastery at Mellifont. He and Bernard corresponded and supported each other in their mutual missions.

In 1148 a synod of bishops in Ireland asked Malachy if he would go to Rome to request the palium for the two metropolitans of Ireland. On the way he stopped off at Clairvaux to spend some time with Bernard, but the time was to be short: while there he fell seriously ill and on the 2nd November he passed away in the arms of his friend. Grief-struck, Bernard still rose to the occasion (as he always did) and preached at the Requiem Mass which was celebrated in Clairvaux, in the sermon he declared that Malachy was a Saint. Rather than send the body home, a difficult proposition then, Bernard buried his friend in the abbey chapel, right in front of the high altar. Less than five years later Bernard himself died and, at his request, he was buried with Malachy.

In any age Malachy would be an extraordinary prelate; we could do with him now. In a way Ireland today is not much different from Ireland in his time, certainly many of the problems he had to face are still with us. He had the courage to face them and thanks to this genius and holiness he dealt with them. There was no compromising the Gospel with him, and he saw sin and laxity for what they were: corrupting forces within the Church and within humanity. He had a huge heart, a gentle demeanor and obvious love for his people, but this true Christian spirit did not lead him to the delusion that the Gospel can be sacrificed as a pastoral strategy to solve pastoral problems or keep people content. He was a Christian realist and understood, as Christ himself did, that the way to true happiness and peace was the way of fidelity to the Gospel even if it required heroic effort at times, an effort that would be enabled and crowned by God's grace. In essence Malachy was a believer and he lived by his belief, by his faith and trust in God.

A Martyr For The Dispossessed

As the votes were being counted in the same sex marriage referendum here, its outcome already certain at an early stage, Archbishop Oscar Romero was beatified in El Salvador. There are many delighted by this event and many appalled. This division is a political one and one, I believe, quite out of sync with who the Archbishop really was. I wrote some posts on him before trying to show that Blessed Oscar was not a communist, nor a Marxist, but a Catholic (see here and here). 

His concern for poor was not motivated by those atheistic materialist movements, but rather by Christ's own love for the poor and dispossessed. Blessed Oscar did seek a revolution, but not one in which arms are taken up, rather a revolution of love. He called on right wing leaders who maintained they were Catholic to do what was expected of Catholic leaders - to be just towards their people and assist those most in need. That's not communism or Marxism, that's Catholicism. As some have been saying in the last few days, some of those who were suspicious of Blessed Oscar were perhaps too rooted in the establishment, they did not want to rock the boat, they may have preferred to use old diplomatic, quiet ways of effecting change. There are times when that is useful and times when it useless, a barrier. Given the situation in El Salvador the Church was too close to the ruling class, Blessed Oscar gradually realised that and pulled himself away to be free to preach the Gospel. In a sense his position was like St John Paul II's with regard to realpolitik.

Some have problems with Blessed Oscar's relationship with Liberation Theology. I think at this stage it is obvious he was not a supporter of Liberation Theology in its Marxist dimensions. I believe a Liberation Theologian came out a few days ago to say the Archbishop was not a member of the movement, but rather the movement was influenced by him. Again, that is not to say he was a Marxist. Liberation Theology is a multifaceted movement, to dismiss all of it would not be wise. There are dangerous elements in it, and these were addressed by the then Cardinal Ratzinger in his Instruction on Certain Aspects of the "Theology of Liberation" - I draw your attention to two important words in that title: "Certain Aspects". Now I am not an apologist for those aspects which are contrary to the faith (how often I have been accused by certain people of being a leftie, as I have often been accused of being right wing!), but we need to look beyond politics and be open to the fact that the Gospel of Christ is more radical that we envision it: it is not a right wing manifesto, no more than it is a left wing charter.

Blessed Oscar's stance and martyrdom comes into clearer focus as we believers in Ireland come to terms with what has happened here today. The Church will have a lot to reflect on, and I hope our Bishops and faithful will finally wake up and see the social revolution which has been occurring around us for years, a revolution that has been underestimated. The Church has played a part in that revolution in her failure to communicate the Gospel as it is in favour of  a lightweight pastoral strategy which has all but excised sound teaching in the name of being open, kind and compassionate. My issue with the Church, for the whole of my lifetime, is that it has been part of the Establishment here in Ireland, and it still thinks it is. This has come at a price, a high price, and that has been a dilution of the Gospel and the failure to form disciples. A dismal catechetical programme stands as a potent symbol of this. 

One of the good things which will come out of this referendum and its results is the undeniable fact now that the Church is not part of the Establishment, she is very much a minority - even if a majority of Irish men and women still identity as "Catholic", that identification does not translate into discipleship (and that is not a value judgement, it is a simple and undeniable observation). The wisdom of Blessed Oscar should now become clear to us all, we must begin to think in a new way, and part of that new thinking must be evangelical. We must now look to the failures of the Church in Ireland - not just the horrendous abuse, but her failure to inculcate in her members an understanding of the faith. People in Ireland use Christian words and concepts like charity, compassion, being Christian etc, but they do not understand what they really mean, the meaning has changed and they are now being used to construct a new society which as far from the actual teaching of Christ as you can get.

Blessed Oscar, a martyr for the dispossessed may well have many lessons to teach us now; we may need to heed him, and take courage from his heroic stance in the face of opposition. I would also suggest we begin to listen to those voices within Ireland who have been saying for years that there is something wrong in the Church. I am not talking about the liberals, many of whom, priests and sisters among them, who came out in favour of the referendum: they are false prophets, members of the new Establishment in Ireland. I would recommend a reading of Fr Vincent Twomey's work, a priest who is very much outside the Establishment here in Ireland (Church Establishment as much as state). His book The End of Irish Catholicism? contains an objective diagnosis of what was wrong with the Church in Ireland - one major issue being the failure to think the faith. As I know personally, there is a certain anti-intellectualism in the Church in Ireland, it is indicative of a uncomfortable attitude towards thinking and discussion. If the faith is to be passed on people must think, think their way through what Christ teaches, they need to talk about it and explore it in order to understand it and live it.

Other books I would recommend at this time to help us understand where we are and where we need to go: Fr Benedict Groeschel, The Reform of Renewal, a manifesto, I suppose, for a revitalization of faith and discipleship. Fr Goeschel was much admired in the US, though he was also divisive figure for many. I remember when in seminary speaking about him with a member of the theology staff, the lecturer dimissed Fr Groeschel "He's a most dangerous man!". Indeed he was, as was Christ whose teachings Fr Groeschel sought to live. Finally, a book to help us understand where we are now: Alasdair MacIntyre, After Virtue, a work of moral theology which suggests we are on the edge of another collapse of western civilisation. He sees the Church as having a role in the preservation of culture, learning etc, as she did at the last collapse. MacIntyre also reiterates the fact that being Christian is not about following rules, but rather living virtue in the context of the Gospel. Our social revolutionaries have been so successful here because for most people in Ireland Christianity is about rules, not virtue and certainly not holiness - that is potently revealed in the poor state of Postulation in this country.

A few thoughts, my readers will have read them before on this blog. But now I need to restate them not to condemn anyone, but in the hope that we may see where we really are and begin in earnest what St John Paul instituted in his ministry: a New Evangelisation. That is the future and it is a radical one. We Christians in Ireland, who continue to believe and will not accept the new definition of marriage now to be Constitutionally enforced here, will now have to be witnesses, to go against the tide and that will be difficult. Only true disciples will be able to do that, and it is for that reason we have to move beyond forming social Catholics and keeping numbers up (nurturing the delusion) to nurturing and forming authentic followers of Christ: men and women who will not be afraid to lose everything rather than renounce Christ or his Gospel (as he taught it!). 

The relics of Blessed Oscar are carried to the altar: the bloodstained shirt worn on the day of the martyrdom

Santa Caterina

In this time of reform, St Catherine of Siena offers us a marvellous example of how to work for reform. Begin with prayer and sacrifice, live the Gospel with the fidelity, seek to guide your brothers and sisters in the truth of the Gospel teaching them to pray, and then get out in the world and do what you have to do. Reform begins from the inside out.

Reforming the Curia

 

A couple of days ago there was a report on changes in the Curia in Rome in which many of the priests who currently work there are being returned to their home dioceses.  This is all part of the reform of the Curia which Pope Francis was elected to carry out. 

 

Now you will forgive me for saying that I personally believe that the reform of the Curia will not be overwhelming and what the present Holy Father does may well be seen as a failure after his death.  It is not that I doubt the abilities of the Pope, far from it he is a very able man, but so far in the long history of the Church no Pope has been able to reform the Curia, be he a Saint, a warrior, a bureaucrat, a tyrant, hard worker or manipulative schemer and we have had them all and worse!  Why?  I personally think it is because human nature is fallen and that reflects on all the systems we humans invent, and also because, perhaps, there is a hint of God saying to the Church: "You last not because you are efficient and effective, but because of my grace".  The fact the Church has survived for two thousand years despite some of the characters we have had is nothing short of a miracle, and I expect that miracle will continue accompanied by all the trappings of the Curia.

 

That said, I do think the Holy Father can do a lot to make things better, and I do believe having a second look at personnel is no bad thing.  For one I think we need a lot more lay people working in the various dicasteries and offices.  I also think the Pope and his Cardinals should cast an eye on how many American dioceses run their Curial offices - yes some would accuse them of being too bureaucratic, but there is a basic good model there to help in reorganising the Curia in Rome. 

 

Someone suggested that as the priests go their places should be filled by Italians.  I could not agree with that.  One of the problems we have in the Curia at the moment is that it is too Italian, Italian work hours and mentality being supreme.  The Church is universal, so the Curia should reflect that.  This may mean other changes, including looking again at the day to day working language of the organisation.  There are plenty of committed lay Catholics with expertise in many areas who would prove a blessing to the Church in her central government.  It might be possible that these experts could be persuaded to give a term of so many years in service to the Pope and the Holy See. 

 

Now of course this brings us to an important issue, one which may explain why so many priests and nuns work in the Curia: salaries.  The Vatican/Holy See could hardly be described as a generous employer.  Having lived in Rome for a short time and having friends who work in the Vatican I am aware that their salaries are pretty low.  Vatican employees, be they clergy, religious or lay, manage to survive because they avail of subsidised shopping in Vatican City State and they have healthcare provided in the Gemelli Clinic.  Perhaps the reason why we have had so many priests and nuns in the Curia is because their work can be seen as part of their vocation and so the Pope can get away with paying them peanuts.  This, however, has led to problems with backhanders and brown envelopes as we all know. 

 

If the Pope and Cardinals are serious about reform of the Curia they will have to be prepared to give a just wage for a just day's work.  I fear from what I have seen so far, however, that might not happen.  Pope Francis's decision, following his election, not to pay his workers the customary bonus following the Sedes Vacante and Conclave was, in my view, an unfair action towards employees who had a mountain of extra duties heaped on them at an important moment in the Church's life.  This bonus supplemented their wages and was a sign of appreciation from the Pontiff.   In the private sector what the Vatican called a bonus, would be called "overtime". While this bonus, or some of it, was given to the poor, I do not think it laudatory to support charities with what is due, in charity and justice, to others. 

 

Talk of poverty is all very well if we speak of living it ourselves, but we cannot impose it on others, and if the Holy See wants a better run Curia then it has to be prepared to pay for it.  The privilege of poverty in the service of the Pope might seem virtuous to some, but real life dictates that families have to be fed, children have to be educated and money is necessary to live.  Celibate priests and nuns can subsist in the current Vatican pay system, but if the priests are going then they have to be replaced by laity if the work is to be done and they have to be paid a wage that reflects the work they do, the hours they put in and the basic reality of their lives.  Not replacing the priests, as some have also suggested, and having a smaller Curia is just going to increase the work load and slow down the whole organisation, and let's face it the Curia is already one of the slowest bureaucracies in the world.  

 

Some have suggested that bishops and local dioceses be given more competence to deal with issues and so reduce the Curia's work load: yes, perhaps.  However, just look at how some bishops run their dioceses and their attitude to the Holy See and we might realise that such radical decentralisation might not be a good thing in every case. 

 

These are just a few thoughts I'm sharing with you.  Just another page to add to the reams already written on this subject.  Pope Francis is well placed and able to do something to make things better in the Curia, so we must pray for him.  But let's not heap unrealistic expectations on his shoulders - he already has the Cross of Christ to carry.  If I may adapt a saying of the Lord's: "Where two or three are gathered, there's politics": the Curia, like all human systems is flawed because we human beings are flawed.  We will not construct a perfect Curia, there is no such thing as a perfect human organisation (that was the ideological flaw at the heart of Marxism and Nazism and all other ideologies).  We have to cope with imperfection while striving for perfection.  As the Church carries out her mission she may well have to carry an imperfect, perhaps even at times a dysfunctional Curia carrying out the administrative work, but all the more reason for the Church and her faithful to say, perhaps even in astonishment: "Wow, we're still here and going strong despite that mess: God is indeed in charge!"

Happy Birthday, Mother!

Today is Our Lady's birthday - her official, liturgical birthday, though we do not know the actual day of her birth.  If the visions of Medjugorje are authentic, then we would know her birthday to be the 5th August, since that is the date the alleged visionaries claim Our Lady told them she was born; but that would make no difference to the liturgy, she would not be the only Queen to have two birthdays: Elizabeth II of England has an official birthday in June and her actual birthday in April: the June date allows for better weather for official celebrations.

How do we celebrate Our Lady's birthday, after all we cannot give her gifts or throw her a party...or can we?  One of the wonderful dimensions of the Catholic faith is our attitude to feasts - from early times we have made festivity an important part of the liturgy.  We attend Holy Mass, have processions and then we party.   In Ireland that was part of our religious experience for centuries until the parties lost their religious/devotional elements and disintegrated into drunken orgies.  The bishops then felt the need to ban these celebrations, and so one of the few colourful elements in what was for the most part a rather austere Church was lost. 

Now I do not agree with the drinking and hanky-panky, but it is a shame that the drab became the dominant experience for many.  We Irish were never great at liturgy, and we still struggle with it, hence the liturgical crisis of the last fifty years.  While it would be good to recover some of our ancient traditions in the renewal, we might also learn from other traditions in the Church, particularly the Mediterraneans.

In the meantime, I think it would be quite appropriate to celebrate Our Lady's birthday with a little fiesta.  Holy Mass (offered for her intentions, perhaps), Rosary, a Holy Hour with her Son, and a nice meal and a toast to the Holy Mother.  Perhaps a little music and dancing, but no hanky-panky!

Reform Anniversary

Today is a special day for us in Carmel - today we celebrate the 450th anniversary of the reform of the Order by St Teresa of Avila. On this day, the 24th August 1562 the first Discalced Community was formed as the Monastery of St Joseph was opened in Avila.   At the time St Teresa was unable to join the sisters, she was still in the Monastery of the Incarnation and was trying to find a way to leave without breaking her vow of obedience.  In faith she left it all to the Lord and before long, Madre was walking through the doors of St Joseph's.  There is a lesson for us there.

The Holy Father sent a message to the Bishop of Avila to mark the anniversary, it is a beautiful meditation on our Holy Mother Teresa and the legacy she has left us.  Here is the Pope's message in full:

To my Venerable Brother
Bishop Jesús García Burillo of Avila

1. Resplendens stella: “a star shining in great splendour” (Libro de la Vida, [The Book of My Life] 32, 11). With these words the Lord encouraged St Teresa of Jesús to found the Monastery of San José in Avila. This was the beginning of the Reform of Carmel which will be celebrating its 450th anniversary next 24 August. On this happy occasion I would like to join in the rejoicing of the beloved Diocese of Avila, of the Order of Discalced Carmelites and of the People of God on pilgrimage in Spain, as well as of all those in the universal Church who have found in Teresian spirituality a sure light for men and women to attain a true renewal of their life through Christ. In love with the Lord, this illustrious woman did not want anything other than to please him in all things. Indeed, it is not those who do great things based on the excellence of their human qualities who are holy; on the contrary, holy people are those who humbly let Christ penetrate their soul and act through them, who truly allow him to play the lead in all their actions and aspirations, inspiring every project and sustaining every silence.

2. Only those who have an intense prayer life are able to let Christ lead them in this manner. The Saint of Avila says that a life of prayer consists in “being on terms of friendship with God, frequently conversing in secret with him who, we know, loves us” (Libro de la Vida 8, 5). The reform of Carmel whose anniversary fills us with inner joy was born from prayer and is inclined to prayer. By distancing herself from the Mitigated Rule in order to further a radical return to the primitive Rule, St Teresa de Jesús wished to encourage a form of life that would favour the personal encounter with the Lord, for which “we have only to find a place where we can be alone and look upon him present within us. Nor need we feel strange in the presence of so kind a Guest” (Camino de perfección [the Way of Perfection] 28, 2). The Monastery of San José came into being precisely in order that all its daughters might have the best possible conditions for speaking to God and establishing a profound and intimate relationship with him.

3. St Teresa proposed a new way of being a Carmelite in a world that was also new. The “times were dangerous” (Libro de la Vida 33, 5) and in these times, as this spiritual teacher said, “the friends of God should be strong, in order that they may support the weak” (ibid., 15, 5). And she eloquently insists: “the world is on fire. Men try to condemn Christ once again, as it were, for they bring a thousand false witnesses against him. They would raze his Church to the ground.... No, my sisters, this is no time to treat with God for things of little importance" (Camino de perfección, 1, 5). Does not this most luminous and challenging reflection made by the holy mystic more than four centuries ago seem familiar to us in the situation in which we are living?

The ultimate aim of the Teresian Reform and of the creation of new monasteries in the midst of a world devoid of spiritual values was to strengthen apostolic work with prayer; and to propose an evangelical lifestyle that might serve as a model to those in quest of a way of perfection, based on the conviction that every authentic personal and ecclesial reform passes through reproducing, ever more faithfully, the “form” of Christ (cf. Gal 4:19) within us. The Saint and her daughters strove to do exactly this and this was the exact commitment of her Carmelite sons who endeavoured solely to “advance in virtue” (Libro de la vida, 31, 18). In this regard Teresa writes: “He [Our Lord] prizes one soul which of his mercy we have gained for him by our prayer and labour more than all the service we may render him” (Libro de las Fundaciones [The Book of the Foundations] 1, 7). In the face of forgetfulness of God the Holy Doctor encourages prayerful communities that protect with their fervour those who proclaim Christ’s name everywhere, so that they may pray for the Church’s needs and bring the cry of all the peoples to the Saviour’s heart.

4. Today too, as in the 16th century and also among rapid changes, trusting prayer must be the soul of the apostolate so that the redemptive message of Jesus Christ rings out with deep clarity and vigorous dynamism. It is urgently necessary that the Word of life be harmoniously vibrant in souls, with resonant and attractive tones.

Teresa of Avila’s example is a great help to us in this exciting task. We can say that in her time the Saint evangelized without mincing her words, with unfailing ardour, with methods foreign to inertia and with expressions haloed with light. Her example keeps all its freshness at the crossroads of our time. It is here that we feel the urgent need for the baptized to renew their hearts through personal prayer which, in accordance with the dictates of the Mystic of Avila, is also centred on contemplation of the Most Holy Humanity of Christ as the only way on which to find God’s glory (cf. Libro de la Vida, 22, 1; Las Moradas [Interior Castle] 6, 7). Thus they will be able to form authentic families which discover in the Gospel the fire of their hearths; lively and united Christian communities, cemented on Christ as their corner-stone and which thirst after a life of generous and brotherly service. It should also be hoped that ceaseless prayer will foster priority attention to the vocations ministry, emphasizing in particular the beauty of the consecrated life which, as a treasure of the Church and an outpouring of graces, must be duly accompanied in both its active and contemplative dimensions.

The power of Christ will likewise lead to the multiplication of projects to enable the People of God to recover its strength in the only possible way: by making room within us for the sentiments of the Lord Jesus (cf. Phil 2:5), seeking in every circumstance a radical experience of his Gospel. This means, first of all, allowing the Holy Spirit to make us friends of the Teacher and to conform us to him. It also means accepting his mandates in all things and adopting such criteria as humility in behaviour, the renunciation of the superfluous and giving no offence to others or proceeding with simplicity and a docile heart. Those who surround us will thus perceive the joy that is born from our adherence to the Lord and see that we put nothing before his love, being ever ready to account for our hope (cf. 1 Pet 3:15) and, like Teresa of Jesus, living in filial obedience to our Holy Mother, the Church.

5. Today, this most illustrious daughter of the Diocese of Avila invites us to this radicalism and faithfulness. Accepting her beautiful legacy at this moment in history, the Pope asks all the members of this particular Church, and especially youth, to take seriously the common vocation to holiness. Following in the footsteps of Teresa of Jesus, allow me to say to all who have their future before them: may you too, aspire to belong totally to Jesus, only to Jesus and always to Jesus. Do not be afraid to say to Our Lord, as she did, “I am yours; I was born for you, what do you want to do with me?” (Poem 2). And I ask him to obtain that you may also be able to respond to his call, illuminated by divine grace with “determined resolve” in order to offer “that little” which is in you, trusting in the fact that God never abandons those who leave everything for his glory (cf. Camino di perfección 21, 2; 1, 2).

6. St Teresa knew how to honour with deep devotion the Most Holy Virgin, whom she invoked with the sweet name of Carmel. I place under her motherly protection the apostolic aspiration of the Church of Avila so that rejuvenated by the Holy Spirit she may find appropriate ways for proclaiming the Gospel with enthusiasm and courage. May Mary, Star of Evangelization, and her chaste spouse, St Joseph, intercede so that this “star” which the Lord set alight in the universe of the Church with the Teresian Reform, may continue to shine with the great splendour of the love and truth of Christ for all humankind. With this wish, Venerable Brother in the Episcopate, I send you this message. I ask you to make it known to the flock entrusted to your pastoral care and, especially, to the beloved Discalced Carmelites of the Convent of San José in Avila so that they may perpetuate in time the spirit of their Foundress. I am ever grateful to them for their fervent prayers for the Successor of Peter. To them, to you and to all the faithful of Avila I impart the Apostolic Blessing as a pledge of abundant heavenly favours.

From the Vatican, 16 July 2012

BENEDICTUS PP. XVI

Our Father General has also issued a message which is very inspiring: you can read it here.  Fr Saverio has a deep love for Secular Carmelites and is trying to remind the Order that we are not only members of the Order, but an important part of it (he wrote a letter on the issue).  Following Vatican II, while there was great emphasis on the vocation of the laity, Third Orders were a problem - some even said that they were not part of their Orders, but associations of laity.  This is an issue that still needs to be addressed.  At the moment our Secular and Third Order fall under the Council for the Laity, but we are consecrated people - consecrated by profession of the evangelical counsels and we are members of Orders.  I personally believe Third and Secular Orders should come under the Congregation for Institues of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.

That said, today is a great feast day!  As you probably know by now we Carmelites love our feast days!  So we'll raise a toast - we're 450 today!  I think some of us look good for our age.

Eucharistic Congress 2012: Some Thoughts

Well, the 50th International Eucharistic Congress is over and the Church is preparing for the next one in Cebu in the Philippines.   We had a large contingent from the Philippines over and, as always, their faith was most impressive.

I spent the week going up and down to the Congress doing some continuity work for the television broadcasts on EWTN, some vox pops and interviews, some of which were for EWTN radio.  One of the most impressive interviews was with Pat Kenny who runs the Fr Willie Doyle blog.  He gave a talk on the Irish Jesuit on Monday evening in St Kevin's Church hall which was packed.  I interviewed him on Tuesday afternoon and I think it will be a very interesting programme.  Fr Willie is one of the Irish figures who should be put forward for canonisation - if he were Italian, Polish, French or Spanish, he would probably be canonised by now.

Anyway, the Congress.  I must say I was very impressed by the organisation and it was obvious that a lot of hard work went into it, so congratulations to those who pushed the sleeves up and tackled what was a mammoth task.  The RDS had a real festival atmosphere and I was delighted to see that many of the new congregations and communities had come and their presence would have encouraged the Irish, many of whom are unaware that religious life is more vibrant in the Church today than it ever was.   Despite what the secularist media say, the Church is alive and kicking!

The liturgies were, for the most part, done very well, although there are a number of issues - some abuses crept in, but then given that these abuses have become part and parcel of the Irish liturgical scene they were to be expected.  But Rome was watching (and the Holy Father referred to abuses in his message yesterday), so I presume over time a gentle but firm hand will deal with them.  But there was a prayerful atmosphere as well as a jubilant one: the Congress gave Irish Catholics an opportunity to celebrate their faith and be exposed to the universal nature of the Church and the many ministries, associations and congregations which are part of our faith.  So well done to the organisers for facilitating that and facilitating it so well.

There were many wonderful speakers, and a number who should not have been asked, and that had been one of my concerns earlier.  That said I was delighted to have the opportunity to see and hear some world class speakers, including the new bishop of Shewsbury, Bishop Mark Davies who is a most remarkable man: a holy man, a good bishop and one with an evangelical soul.

While I thought the ecumenical dimension was a good idea, I think they have should have been more careful.  Ruth Patterson, a Presbyterian minister, was one of those involved, and after having a podium to speak at the Congress she came on to RTE radio and basically said that the Catholic Church will have no credibility or effectiveness until it ordains married men and women.  She also said that orthodoxy was a subtle form of idolatry.  She is entitled to her opinion, but I would imagine having been given a platform to speak at a major Catholic event, she would have the graciousness not to attack the Church as she did.  Inviting her was a  mistake, though the organisers cannot be held responsible for what this lady says after the event.  However given her reputation, prudence would have suggested they should not have taken the chance.

One group who was not invited, and I think should have been, were the members of the Personal Ordinariates.  Given that this was the first Congress following the Holy Father's establishing the Ordinariates, I think an invitation should have been forwarded to the leaders of the various Ordinariates.  I'm sure Mgr Newton from the UK Ordinariate would have been delighted to come, and he could have been a keynote speaker.  It would have been most appropriate given that the theme of the Congress was communion with Christ and with one another, seeing that they have just entered full communion with the Church.  Perhaps the organisers in Cebu will invite them for 2016.

I also think the Eucharistic Procession was really lovely, though I believe we should have had it in O'Connell street.  There seems to be a fear of having such processions in the city now, I presume some do not want to appear triumphalist given recent history, but I think we need to start regaining confidence in our faith again. Let's face it if the gays and lesbians can parade down O'Connell street proudly in their hundreds in their upcoming Gay Pride March, we have every right to do so in our tens of thousands.  Interestingly this Congress may have brought confidence back to the Catholics of Ireland.

The Statio Orbis yesterday was very well prepared for.  Contrary to the reports in The Irish Times which says only 50,000 turned up, the figure was much more obviously about 70,000-75,000.  Strange that, Patsy McGarry, the religious affairs correspondent was sitting a few seats away from me and saw the same crowd as I did: perhaps he needs to go to Specsavers and have his eyes checked - obviously his glasses are not up to scratch.   In fact Patsy was pretty obsessed with figures all week: at the press conferences the one question he always asked concerned attendance figures.  Indeed the secular media have been quite boorish in its coverage, and all the work of Fr Kevin Doran and his committee overshadowed by their obsession with apologies.  

I was disappointed to see Joe Duffy of Liveline involved in the presentation of the Statio Orbis - given his attitude to the Church and his bashing of priests and Church doctrine on his radio show he should not have been invited.  Nor, in my opinion, should have an invitation been extended to Enda Kenny (unless, of course, he gatecrashed).  I noticed though when he arrived there was booing and very little clapping - it was very subdued. I'll say one thing for him though, he has nerve.  That said, the Statio Orbis was a wonderful celebration of faith, the highlight being the Holy Father's message.

So all in all, congratulations to the organisers for facilitating what became a great festival of faith.  It would be great to have such gatherings and festivals more often: perhaps the Church in Ireland may consider a national Congress every few years.  I know we have the Divine Mercy Conference each year, but I think the faithful Catholics of Ireland would like other events to help nourish their faith. Perhaps some national gathering for the Year of Faith???  So Fr Kevin Doran deserves a lie-in this morning and a few weeks holiday. 

Lest some critics take a shot at me in the combox, I do admit that the Congress was not perfect, but all in all it was a success: it made us Catholics feel proud of our faith and reminded us of what is important. It may not sort out the Church in Ireland, but it gives us a boost to start working on reform realising that there are a lot of good, solid, orthodox and prayerful people and organisations out there quietly working away to proclaim the Gospel.  It also brought Cardinal Ouellet to our shores, the one who will be responsible for appointing our new bishops (indeed the majority of them as many of the present bishops are due to retire in the next few years): he needed to see the Church in Ireland, virtues, vices and flaws, to help him in his decision making, and I think he got a good start on that. 

Now I'm exhausted, and no doubt many others, so we might all just take a few weeks to recover and get going again for October: the Year of Faith.  Any suggestions anyone?  Anyway, given our positive experience, I think we'll have to start saving: next stop - Cebu in the Philippines 2016.  I wonder if Ryanair will put on a few flights?

Communion Of Saints

St Isaiah the Prophet

A few months ago I finally bought a copy of the new Roman Martyrology after much diddering.  I had been meaning to get a copy for myself, but could not source one outside of the Vatican bookshop.  It was when I was in London that I picked up a copy in the CTS bookshop beside Westminster Cathedral - a fantastic shop.   The book was expensive but will be very useful.

So today, as I look through the entries, I see it is the feast of the Prophet Isaiah - traditionally the Church has honoured the Old Testament prophets as Saints: in Carmel we venerate St Elijah as one of our spiritual fathers.  Tomorrow, incidentally, is the feast of St Job.

Other feasts today:  St Pachomachus the abbot, father of monasticism in the East.  St Hermas, a first century bishop and martyr, who was mentioned by St Paul in his Letter to the Romans.  The Martyrs of Persia - three hundred and ten Christians put to death for their faith in the fourth century.  St Denis of Lyons, bishop. St Gerontius of Cervia, a bishop murdered by bandits near Ancona in the year 501 when returned from a Synod in Rome, honoured as a martyr.  St Beatus, a French hermit.  Blessed Fortis Gabrielli, a hermit of the Camaldese order who died in 1040.  Blessed Benincasa of Monte Politano, a Servite. Blessed Thomas Pickering, an English Benedictine lay brother put to death for his Catholic faith in 1679 during the reign of King Charles II - he was falsely accused under the fictional Titus Oates plot.  St Joseph Do-Quang Hien, a Vietnamese Dominican priest beheaded for his faith in Tonkin in 1840.  And two from the diocese of Munich: Blessed Maria-Teresa Gerhardinger, foundress of the School Sisters of Notre Dame who died in 1879; and Blessed Stephen Grelewski, a Polish priest interred and martyred in Dachau Concentration Camp 1941.  Not mentioned in the Martyrology (it is already out of date), St George Preca, Maltese diocesan priest and Third Order Carmelite (Ancient Observance).

A snapshot of the Martyrology, but also of the life of the Church - all over the world the various local churches celebrate their own local Saints and Beati, and in doing so commemorate the Communion of Saints, and the union which exists in the Church - a union, under Peter, which to be bound by faith, love and, sometimes forgotten, sanctity.  It is the deepening of such union which should be high on the list of those seeking reform: a union which is not confined to the people who are alive today, but one which includes all those who have gone before us "marked with the sign of faith" and those yet to be conceived: that is the Church. 

A Real Reformer

If today were not a Sunday, we would be celebrating the feast of St Catherine of Siena, Dominican Tertiary and Doctor of the Church.  In Europe, we honour her particularly as one of our patrons. 

Catherine, as you known, is one of the Church's most remarkable figures, and one of her most dynamic reformers.  Her life and career undermines the radical feminist charge that all women in the Catholic Church were oppressed.  She also shows how a woman can work and have an influential role in the Church without having to be ordained.  Interestingly in all the debates I have had with those seeking the ordination of women, they never refer to Catherine, or, funnily enough to St Teresa of Avila, or St Bridget of Sweden. I wonder why.

Anyway, as reform is on everyone's lips at the moment, and as the Holy Father has reminded us recently that authentic reform cannot come from dissent, and as some dissident priests are being investigated here in Ireland, it might be no harm to look at the life, teaching, and sanctity of one of the great reformers.  There is an excellent article on St Catherine in the Catholic World Report which is worth reading.

No Smooching Here

Here's an interesting story - the Vatican has taken exception to an image Benetton clothing company was using for its advertising campaign - the photo shows the Holy Father and Muslim Sheikh Ahmed Mohamed El-Tayeb kissing, one of a number of photoshopped images of political leaders in passionate embraces.  Benetton has pulled the photo, thank God.  The Vatican tends to be very tolerate of offensive images, but this was one step too far.

I am delighted that the Vatican has decided to raise its voice - I think it tends to let too many things go, as does the Church in general, so much so that people think they can say what they like and offend Christians in any way possible in the sure knowledge that we will not raise a whimper in protest. 

Sometimes I think those who attack us rationalise their abuse by saying "Christians have to forgive, so if they object, we can throw the accusation of hypocrisy in their faces".  It reminds me of a incident when I was teaching: one of my students had misbehaved badly in class, and when I brought him out to check him, he said with a smirk "You're a priest, you have to forgive me and let me off."  I told him I did forgive him - from the bottom of my heart, but he was still being punished - for his own good".  That wiped the smile off his face: he got extra homework and a "blue card" (a demerit card). 

I am all in favour of forgiveness and putting up with bad behaviour and attacks with patience and prayer, but that tolerance has to be mitigated in each situation by assessing the effect of our tolerance.  Will our silence confirm and reinforce injustice, bad behaviour and indeed sin?   We also have to gauge the reaction to our objection - will we do more harm than good?    Looking at the Holy See's response to Enda Kenny's attack, for example, we see that it was measured, diplomatic but yet firm - the government did not like it and tried to make hay by insinuating that it was another example of now entrenched the Holy See was and unable to admit her mistakes.  But that was an anti-Catholic government's view - the interpretation of other nations was different: they saw the Holy See setting the record straight.  

In the interest of fairness we have to give Benetton their due, when the Vatican raised its objection, it took down the image - perhaps they thought to themselves "If the Catholics are objecting so strongly, the Muslims will be really peeved" - no one dares offend Muslims for fear of the consequences.   But they have apologised for offending the faithful, let's hope others will be as respectful in future.

I note another story this morning - from The Irish Catholic.  According to the paper the four Archbishops of Ireland are resisting attempts by the Vatican to reform the structure of Irish dioceses.  A number of people have suggested that our dioceses need to be reduced in number, a suggestion I agree with.  It appears Rome may well agree also, and so is considering changes which will form new dioceses with a Catholic population of 300,000 on average.  The story in The Irish Catholic says that the Archbishops want dioceses with an average population of 100,000.  

To be honest I do not think that would effect too many changes at all.  If this story is true, then I would advise that we cooperate with the Vatican - the time for resistance is over.  With an anti-Catholic government in place, a group of dissident priests doing everything they can to undermine the faith of the people in the communion of the Church universal, this is not the time for haggling with the Holy Father.   Time for us to die to self and realise that perhaps we may not be the right people to sort out the mess the Church in Ireland is in.  Yes, we can help and cooperate, but perhaps it is time to follow Peter.

UPDATE:   It seems the Vatican is actually going to take legal proceedings against Benetton.  Is this a first?  In another legal story: Irish priest, Fr Kevin Reynolds who sued RTE for their false accusations of his having raped and impregnated a young Kenyan girl has been vindicated in the courts.  RTE reached a settlement with him paying not only his costs and compensation, but being order also to pay aggravated damages - a punitive measure imposed by courts on guilty defendants.  While the amount RTE has to pay will not be revealed, it is reckoned to be at least in seven figures.  Here's RTE news' report on the settlement.  That should teach RTE - but will they learn the lesson??  We will see. 

Not A Bull's Notion

We must pray for Cardinal Schoenborn and the bishops of Austria, they have real trouble on their hands.  According to news reports (and I urge caution, journalists can get things wrong) a group of dissenting Catholics are threatening the bishops that if they do not give in to their demands, the laity will begin to celebrate Mass themselves.  They are of the belief that the Bible gives them the right to do so.

Now rebellion aside, you have to wonder who these people are. Are there priests among them?  Because one thing is certain, they haven't got a bull's notion of the Christian faith or the concept of the priesthood.  Even those who demand that women be ordained know at the very least that the ministerial priesthood has to be conferred through ordination, these people in Austria seem not to know that and think that the only thing which is stopping them consecrating the Holy Eucharist is a ban by a "Patriarchal Church".

This reveals that what is really at the heart of much of this dissent is an appalling lack of real catechesis: they actually do not know the teachings of the Christian faith, nor the sacramental system of the Catholic Church.  Many of them could not even be described as Protestant, because most Protestant communities require some form of ordination for its ministers.  That there are priests among these dissidents is very sad and worrying: it is obvious that if they are peddling this nonsense they have had little or no theological formation, or at least a formation that adheres to the teachings of the Church.

Of course we know all this.  We know that since Vatican II there has been a crisis in catechesis in the Church - the wrong people are in charge of these programmes and they have diluted the articles of faith in favour of a more experiential approach which has led to some major lapses in faith formation:  Thomas Groome has become the guru for many in all this.  We know that many of the seminaries are in a bad way theologically - I know from personal experience.  There is little (at best!) differentiation between the ministerial/sacramental priesthood and the common priesthood of the faithful, so new priests go out unaware that they are indeed men set apart with a power, for lack of a better word, which others do not have: the power to consecrate the Eucharist, the power of forgive sins.  It's all very sad.

"Trust Us..."

Worrying developments here in Ireland.  As the Presidential election is capturing most of our attention, voters in Ireland will also vote on two referendums which seek to give parliament/government more control over the Judiciary.  One seeks the citizens' permission to reduce judges' pay - thereby undermining the mechanism within the Constitution preventing a sitting government from holding the judiciary to ransom. 

The second referendum wants to give the parliament more powers to hold enquiries into matters of "public concern".  The politicians will decide what is of public concern, they will appoint an investigator with almost "super powers" to seize materials, the politicians will judge the case, and the politicians themselves will oversee whether or not they are working within the parameters of the new legislation.  Consoling, isn't it?

Well, today eight former Attorneys General have come out against these referendums describing them as going too far and seriously weakens the rights of citizens.  The minister in charge of the referendums has dismissed the criticisms calling them "nonsense" and then engaged in an "ad hominum" attack on the individual former Attorneys General.   That in itself reveals a great deal. 

The main arguments the government is making in support of the changes are, first, they will reduce the cost of lengthy enquiries and tribunals; they will be able to get offenders who have so far escaped justice, ie bankers; the legislation will not be abused.  So they are asking us to trust them - they will not misuse the powers that have been given them. 

The Irish Constitution, while not perfect, is a finely balanced document written in the 1930's as tyranny and fascism was growing in Europe.  Hitler has siezed power in Germany and was on his way to creating an empire.   Communism was controlling every aspect of people's lives in Russia, and there were many other threats to democracy.  Eamon de Valera who wrote the Constitution did not want the same to happen in Ireland, and so he divided power, and ensured that the judiciary could not be controlled by the government.  This was a wise move on his part, and it is for this reason our Constitution is much admired among democrats - indeed India adopted our Consttitution, with some minor changes, as their own following independence.  

What these two referendums are doing is diluting those safeguards which prevent anyone from taking total control of the Republic.  Of course politicians tend not to like such finely balanced safeguards and I believe that even de Valera would later find the restrictions he had put into the Constitution troublesome.  

I think we Irish need to think very carefully about how we vote on this one.  While times are financially hard, we must be careful not to sign away our freedom in order to save money - see what happened Esau when he was hungry - he sold his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of soup.   According to the polls it seems these referendums will be passed - is it possible that this generation will take the soup and with the stroke of pen wipe away the liberty our fathers and mothers fought hard to win for us? 

PS:  Lest anyone accuse me, a priest, of interferring in State matters, I draw their attention to the present criticisms of the Catholic Church which, it is said, remained silent in Germany as the Nazis diluted the rights of its citizens and the Jews.  Should this be one of the first steps towards a tyranny in Ireland, well then let history record that some in the Church were not silent when human rights were being threatened. 

Catholics And Their Faith

In pastoral ministry when teaching the truths of the faith, most often the moral teachings of Christ and the Church, the ones who emerge as most opposed to it and most vocal in their opposition are not non-Catholics who, though they may disagree can for the most part shrug their shoulders and move on, but Catholics themselves.

A growing problem here in Ireland, for example, is the issue of noise in church. Before, and most particularly after Mass, as soon as the priest leaves the sanctuary, an awful din starts and grows in intensity as people chat, call out to each other, laugh and joke in the church itself - dreadfully disrespectful, and to be honest, in my eyes, a real indication of poor or no faith as the Blessed Sacrament is ignored and the church is treated as if it was just another community hall.  It is also intensely selfish as the chatterers do not allow the church to be what it should be, "a house of prayer" for the community and so in their noisy talking deny those who wish to pray their right to the silence which should reign in a church building.  Personally speaking it is a difficult challenge which we orthodox priests are trying to meet, though we are making enemies not only within our parishes, but also within the presbyterate: "Chill out, Father, get real" or as someone said to me: "You're making too much of this - God can look after himself he doesn't need you to do it!"  Again a real indication that there is need of a very serious reform here in Ireland.

Anyway, a friend of mine wrote an article on the issue in a Catholic newspaper and it was taken up by a couple of radio stations who interviewed him.  The responses to the intervews were interesting: Protestants who rang in or texted were in favour of what he had to say: a church is supposed to be a place of silence, prayer and reflection - a place apart, to get away from the din of the world and enter into the Lord's peace.  Beautiful.  But it was Catholics who were most scathing - they attacked him for what he had to say: "How dare he! He won't tell us what to do." 

I say this to preface this video which is most remarkable.  Perhaps you have seen it already, I have just discovered it thanks to Fr Z (peace be upon him).  It is an American priest, Fr Michael Rodriguez making a submission to El Paso City Council who were considering extending health benefits to the homosexual "partners" of employees.  It seemed the Council had been told that the Church supported the granting of these benefits and Fr Rodriguez asked to speak to the Council to inform them of the truth: the Church did not support it, even if some Catholics within the local diocese said it did.  His main thesis: the ultimate authority on Church teaching is the Pope in Rome, if local church officials be they bishops or priests disagree with the Pope, then they are not being true Church teaching.  His submission is excellent.  He is a true priest, God bless him!

However one councillor rejects the priest's submission and tries to rubbish the priest's submission by an  attack on the Church citing the usual objections: condoms and AIDS and child abuse.  And guess what - that councillor is a Catholic and.....with the surname O'Rourke, he's Irish!

Thank You, My Lord!

Bishop Seamus Hegarty of Derry (right) marching for life at last Saturday's Pro-Life Rally in Dublin

Christopher McCamley has an interesting post today on the Pro-Life Rally which was held in Dublin on Saturday.  To my joy I see that the Bishop of Derry, Dr Seamus Hegarty, was among those marching for life: congratulations to him for his witness, it will inspire many working for the cause of life in Ireland.  There may have been other bishops there, if so congratulations to them also.

In Ireland we not used to seeing bishops walking the streets in protest marches, not since the Civil Rights movement when the then Fr Edward Daly, future Bishop of Derry, was marching with oppressed Catholics.  Dr Daly was actually present at Bloody Sunday when British soldiers indiscriminately opened fire on innocent people killing thirteen of them.  Perhaps the reason we have not seen bishops out protesting is simpy because they were really part of the establishment in Ireland.  That is no longer the case and this is one of the things the Church in Ireland has now to realise and accept; when we do we will find the freedom to be prophetic, as Christ intended. 

In the US Catholics are used to their bishops standing side by side with them not only in marches, but also outside abortion clinics leading peaceful prayer vigils.  Indeed some American bishops have "criminal records" having been arrested for their peaceful activities.  They often remind me of those heroic bishops, many who became martyrs, suffering with their people for Christ.  

The prophetic witness of a bishop can much to increase the faith and trust of their flock.  With things are they are in Ireland at the moment, a lot of PR work has to be done, and we need to see our bishops taking a more prophetic role.  The advance of the abortion and gay marriage agendas will provide plenty of opportunity for bishops, priests and religious to stand side by side with their fellow Catholics in defence of life, marriage and now our right to religious freedom, which is being eroded  bit by bit.

Given recent history, it may fall to the new generation of bishops due to take over within the next five to ten years to take up this prophetic mantle.  I believe between twelve and sixteen bishops are due to retire in that time frame.  But we must support our present bishops for the times they have proved prophetic, and today we must thank Bishop Hegarty for his stance for life.  If there were other bishops there, please let me know and I will update this post: credit must be given where it is due.  Let's hope more will follow in these footsteps. 

Who knows, but perhaps in the next ten years many of us will have the privilege of sharing a cell at Store Street Garda station with a few bishops, all of us saying the Rosary and singing hymns having been arrested for peacefully praying outside an abortion clinic.  I hope we never see abortion, but if it comes, may we all, bishops, priests, religious and laity, have the courage to take a stand.

American Archbishop Joseph Kurtz of Louisville praying the rosary on his knees in a peaceful prayer vigil outside an abortion clinic in Louisville.

Reforming The Body Of Christ

In Ireland today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ - Corpus Christi.    The feast has added significance this year because we are preparing for the Eucharistic Congress next year, and the Church in Ireland held a mini Congress in Knock.  Having reflected on our martyrs, this feast gains even more significance since many of our martyrs were put to death for their devotion to the Mass - our priestly martyrs in particular.

Interestingly I am also reading Mark Dooley's new book, Why Be A Catholic? - I have to say it is a good read.   Dooley is a philosopher, and has held a number of positions in philosophy departments.  He is an expert on the "philosopher of beauty", Roger Scruton and has written a couple of book about him.  He has also written articles and columns for a number of newspapers, he is currently a columnist for the Irish Daily Mail.  It was in that paper that he exposed the inner life of the national seminary in Maynooth where he was working in the Philosophy Department.  His articles caused a stir, perhaps even a bit of a storm in the seminary.  Strangely, following the publication of the articles his contract with Maynooth was not renewed - a pure coincidence I'm sure.

Dooley's book is, in a sense, a response to his critics, although it was in pipeline long before he wrote the articles, and it is wider in scope.  I mention it today on the Solemnity of Corpus Christi because his writing reveals a real veneration for the Holy Mass and, indeed, a profound understanding of the Eucharist.   Asking the question, How may we reform the Church in these times? He sees the answer in the revitalisation of the liturgy as we see in the present Benedictine reform.  

Dooley points out that we need to come to understand what the liturgy is - that it is not ours but God's.  It is not a place for experimentation, but rather the place where we encounter God and enter more deeply into his life.   Refreshing stuff, but not original, Pope Benedict and many of the new reformers have been saying this for years.   He is correct when he maintains that the renewal of the Church begins with the way we worship because the way we worship reveals what we believe.  When we reorient our worship back to God, we give him precedence, and so we are more inclined to listen to him and more resolved to life lives conformed to his teaching.

At the moment, though many talk about reform, many fall into the trap which swallowed Marx and other ideological thinkers - thinking that reform will emerge from changing structures.  We see so many efforts, so many committees, so many policies and plans from thrusting the burden of the reform onto the laity, to spending thousands of euro on clustering and other such schemes. It will all fail if prayer and adherence to the Gospel are not put on top of the list.   If we look at the history of the Church we see that every reform (EVERY reform) began with personal, spiritual renewal.  

Recovering from the spiritual and religious stagnation of the last forty years will require the same plan.  So what should we do to reform the Church?  Ordain married men???? No.  Ordain women????? No.   Allow contraception and divorce so we can get the people back????  No - those things will only create an even greater rupture from Christ and his teaching.  The reform of the Church will begin when you and I get on our knees before Christ in the Eucharist and make the commitment to become holy.  That's what Dooley says and he is right, hence the importance of today's feast.

Nurturing Mystics

I popped into Veritas yesterday - religious bookshop in Dublin.  During my move from Drogheda to Rathkenny my copy of Ralph Martin's The Fulfilment of All Desire got lost, so I was determined to get another.  That is not as easy as it sounds for, as the good ladies in Veritas told me, it is walking off the shelves - it is probably one of the shop's best sellers.    I am delighted to hear that even if it means having to go back to see if the next order is in. 

Many of you will know the book, probably have read it and are trying to live what he teaches.  For those of you who do not know, Martin looks at the teachings of seven of our Doctors of the Church to plot the path to holiness which, following the teaching of Vatican II, he reminds us is what every single member of the Church is called to.  The book is a wonderful read, Martin has that rare gift of taking what is complicated and difficult and explaining it in simple language without diminishing the message.  His understanding of the Doctors is comprehensive and deep, but he is quick to tell you that that understanding or insight is a gift from God.    God has indeed given him great gifts to assist him in his mission of nurturing mystics for the 21st century.

I am also delighted to hear that it is popular because it is a real sign that people in Ireland are taking an interest in the teachings of the great mystics and are determined to read them and understand them.  I also believe they are interested in following the way mapped out by these great saints.  That is where the renewal of the Church in Ireland will begin.   Having worked with new groups and movements here in Ireland I can safely say that the seed of reform has been planted, now it must grow and for that to happen it must be nurtured by sound teaching that nourishes.  And that is what the priests of the reform in Ireland must engage in - assisting the laity on the path to holiness while being sanctified themselves.   So, dear Fathers if you have not read the book, do so.  Not only for the laity but also for yourselves.  And for those of you who were afraid of tackling St Teresa of Avila, St John of the Cross, St Francis de Sales or other mystics, this book is a very good introduction.

In Discussion

The Apostolic Visitation to Ireland has started in earnest.   Two nights ago a public meeting was held in Drogheda with the Visitator to the Armagh Province, Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor. I was not there, unable to go due to a previous engagement, but my friend Christopher was and he gives us a good summary of what happened on his blog Catholicus. 

To be honest, when I heard of a public meeting, I was a little afraid because I know what those meetings can turn into and who will turn up, and reading Christopher's account it seems my fears would have been partially realised.   I have no problem with meetings, there needs to be a forum where members of the Church can get together and talk with their pastors, but there is also the problem that these meetings can become dominated by the dissenting who feel the Church must change to suit their opinions and variant lifestyles, moral and immoral.  And it seems there may have been a few of them there at the Drogheda meeting.  I also notice the press was there to get a few salacious quotes for their, no doubt, already written, biased articles.  I see from Christopher's report the usual media suspects were sent, neither known for their fondness for Christianity.

The meeting seems to confirm one thing: that those who are looking for reform in Ireland see the only option as being a secularisation, permissivisation and protestantisation of the Catholic Church in Ireland.  The only way to prevent the recurrence of child sexual abuse is to allow priests to marry, ordain woman and shift the running of the Church over to the laity.  Interestingly these matters have nothing to do with the child abuse crisis, nor would they prevent abuse from occuring. 

First of all the vast majority of those abused, 95-97% , are abused by non-celibate men and women, most often family members.  Going on the statistics if one is comitted to celibacy there is a less chance one will abuse than if not committed to it. So celibacy seems to be a safeguard against the temptation to abuse.  It is is prejudice and pure ideology (and even hatred of priests) which will not allow certain people to see this basic statistical fact.

Secondly, with all due respect to all my women readers out there, being a woman is no safeguard against abuse: plenty of women abuse, and in institutions dealing with allegations of child abuse, women have been as guilty as men in covering up.  Just last year a German Luthern woman bishop, Maria Jepsen, was forced to resign because she failed to deal with abuse allegations.  She was the first woman bishop in Germany, ordained to great applause and made an icon for the campaign for women priests.  Well, she wasn't such a great icon after all - she was no better than some of the Catholic bishops who are presently being reviled for their failures. 

Finally, the laity running the Church.  Would that stop abuse?  No, I do not believe it would.  Like anyone else, when people get a hold of power they mean to hold onto it at any price and I have seen that all too clearly among certain laity who have been given positions of authority in the Church.  Not branding everyone with the same stick - there are many good, virtuous and competent lay people in Church positions doing great work and long may they remain.  But I have also seen the opposite, of people who manipulated their way onto committees, who do not the share the Catholic faith (as even Pope Benedict has pointed out in his recent book), and these are as corrupt and power-hungry as any ambitious cleric, and just as capable as covering up to save their skins and privileges.  Being a layperson is no guarantee of virtue or expertise, nor any special wisdom a cleric would not have, so we have to move from a naive belief that all goodness, wisdom and holiness resides in the lay state.

Even though those calling for reform reject it and ignore it, the last point made by Chrisopher is the solution to the problem: living our Christian calling properly.  Vice has always been with us, and will always be with us, it is only the naive who think that a system can change fallen human nature.  Original sin has been denied for years, our sinfulness has been swept under the carpet with peals of affirmation and nice, wooly talk, and now faced with concrete evidence of human sinfulness we do what atheistic philosophical materialism always does: change the structure, create a climate of suspicion, dehumanise human relationships and inaugurate Big Brother policy and that will solve the problem.  That is just naive.  Do we need safeguards?  Of course we do.  Do we need to know those who are in a position of trust?  Of course we do.  But if we are relying entirely on that we are not going to get to the core of the problem because sinners will always find a way around the moral law and will always have an excuse to justify it.  That is the weakness of the effects of Original sin.   Coming the heavy with an inhuman system will cause more problems that it will solve if we are placing all our trust in it, and as Christopher has pointed out, we are starting to see some of those problems already.

Real reform in the Church will not happen when Catholic Ireland is "cut free from the shackles" of Rome and embraces the culture of dissent, it will only happen when we take the Gospel seriously and struggle to live it; when we obey the commandments, when priests are faithful to their vows and the doctrines of the Church; when our religious are back in community, in their habits, praying together and serving the Church humbly.  When the laity realise that they are called to be saints and strive for personal holiness, safeguarding their families, playing an active role in their local parish and community, and participating in prayer and apostolic activities to help build up the Church.  When they support their bishop and local clergy and not get narked because the local priest would not allow them run riot through the liturgy as if it was their personal fiefdom.  When those members of our parish who are public representatives realise that they cannot divorce their professed faith from their public service and instead of becoming instruments to attack the Church and her moral teachings, instead become people who remind the secular state that the Church does have some interesting teachings that can actually help the state and the citizens build up community, serve the common good and respect the inherent dignity of every human being.

So the reform of the Church in Ireland is not as simple as putting a system in place and sticking to it, it is not about forcing bishops to resign or even appointing competent, orthodox ones, it is not about transparency: it is all of these and more - it is about Catholics in Ireland (clergy, religious and laity) waking up to the fact that they are Catholics, and that this is a way of life and not a cultural label used to get privileges when they want them.  Being Catholic means we must live the Gospel faithfully in union with Peter and strive for real holiness even if it means renouncing the comforts and conveniences we have enjoyed for years.  In Ireland we have alot of soul searching to do. 

The soon to be Blessed Pope John Paul II said it all in his life's work and writings: the ordinary means of Christian living is that of heroic virtue, anything less than that is not wholly Christian, through if we are striving we are on the way.  When we stop striving, then we go backwards, and as Pope Benedict pointed out in his letter to the Irish, that is what happened in Ireland.  Not only did we take the eye off the ball, we went backwards, and given the nature of human weakness, sin and temptation, when you go backwards there is always the danger that some will wallow in land of evil and degeneracy.