Maureen Kelly The Church in Ireland entered crisis mode – but the synodal process offers a timely opportunity for reconnection writes Maureen Kelly. The possibilities that the synodal vision of Francis opens up and the profound shift it requires is only gradually coming into view. In effect, he is calling the whole Church, to a…
The renewal and revival of the Church in Ireland needs to acknowledge the dying of the former model, writes Garry O’Sullivan Synodality and its listening process has been like following a prescribed cocktail of drugs. There’s all the ‘uppers’ of openness, listening, hopes and joys but then there’s the ‘downers’ of “we’ve been here before”,…
Framing the synodal process is taking away opportunities to sit and listen first, and let people talk, writes Garry O’Sullivan Speaking at the beginning of the diocesan phase of the worldwide synod, Bishop Brendan Leahy of Limerick said that the synod is taking place at a critical time for the Church and must not be…
Inviting people to participate in a process that is really only about erecting scaffolding around old structures will further alienate even the enthusiastic, writes Garry O’Sullivan “Trying to turn the pyramid upside down,” is how Fr Brendan Hoban described what they were doing by organising a diocesan assembly in Killala, one of the smallest dioceses…