Dear Editor, The Bishop of Kilmore has said the question of ordaining married men to the priesthood may be raised during the ad limina visit to Rome (IC 12/1/2017). As a convert from Anglicanism, I should like to make a number of points as to why any such proposal should be regarded with caution.
First, it would be unwise to abandon the long-standing discipline of clerical celibacy in the Catholic Church – a discipline held to with only the exception of the Uniate Churches, the Ordinariate and former Anglican clergy not in the latter body – in response to a crisis in vocations which may be temporary.
Second, the experience of Anglicanism with respect to clerical marriage has always been mixed. Permission to marry has always resulted in some delinquent married clergy committing adultery rather than fornication; not all married clergy are models of fidelity. In recent decades clerical divorce and remarriage has become an increasingly visible problem in Anglicanism, especially in the northern hemisphere.
The Catholic Church is in turmoil over the admission to communion of divorced and remarried laity; the problem of divorced and remarried clergy is one that we would do well to avoid.
Third, even clergy who are faithful in their marriages will experience conflict between their calling to ministry and the demands of married life; it would unfair to expect clergy always to place family life in second place – an expectation that would only result in their marriages being placed under undue strain.
Fourth, the single-minded devotion of celibate Catholic clergy to their calling continues to impress me as a convert to the Church; I am convinced that that devotion stems from the sacrifices they make in being unmarried.
The Church in other countries is experiencing a more modest decrease in vocations; it would be better to learn from them than to abandon the practice and blessing of clerical celibacy.
Yours etc.,
C.D.C. Armstrong,
Belfast, Co. Antrim.
Don’t dismiss optional celibacy
Dear Editor, The basic idealism that prompts a young man to be a priest can often be the very quality that a similar young woman longs to find in a prospective partner.
Few fellows today are looking for a chaste girl, so most girls, not primarily motivated by sexual desire, may feel obliged to ‘get into sex’ if they want to be in the running for a partner.
The girl of idealism and courage decides that what matters in love is to have a friendship first before getting into the commitment of a physically intimate relationship (not always marriage nowadays).
The thoughtful, idealistic, chaste young man – even the one who hopes to marry – may quickly be jeered and taunted by his mates and may drop his standards in order to be acceptable to ‘the gang’ rather than be an outcast. It can be extremely difficult for the guy, testing his secretly held possibility of being called to the priesthood, to remain a lone ranger.
But if he meets a girl who has the courage to build a friendship before ‘getting into’ full sexual expression, he will be encouraged to pursue that relationship for the joy of sharing thoughts at a deepening level.
Will he be able to tell her of his prompting to be a priest?
The complementariness they now share points to a deep value should they marry and have a family. The temptation can be intense. One can be saddened by the fact that he cannot make the decision to be a married priest. This young couple would seem to be such an asset to the Church and have the potential to be ideal parents.
Optional celibacy suggests itself as an answer.
Is the imposition of celibacy (as against the free choice of it) yet to be seen as a huge block in the development of the modern Church?
Yours etc.,
Angela McNamara,
Churchtown, Dublin 14.
Just what is a ‘post-truth world’?
Dear Editor, I have written to The Late Late Show to complain about an item that appeared on the January 6 edition of the show when in a discussion about a “post-truth” world, we had to endure sneering and mockery of Jesus and the Blessed Eucharist, which Ryan Tubridy seemed to find amusing. The Eucharist was referred to as “haunted bread”.
There was not a word of protest from any member of the studio audience and there was nobody on the panel to present an opposing viewpoint. I found the entire thing in very bad taste and very ignorant.
Can you imagine what the result might be if it was the Islamic faith or Judaism that was being sneered at on a chat show?
What is a post-truth world? One guest, Michael Harding, seemed to believe that there is no objective truth and everything is relative. Really? There are no self-vindicating moral values? Is love not objectively better that hatred? Is cruelty not morally wrong? Is rape not objectively wrong? Was there no objective moral difference between Hitler and St Vincent de Paul? Harding’s view makes no sense. And without an infinitely loving God morality has no intrinsic meaning. It all comes down to just a matter of opinion and taste. Even Nietzsche, who was an atheist, said that without God moral values have no meaning. It is God who gives meaning and purpose to our lives. Without God everything is just chaos and despair. As Dostoyevsky said: “If God does not exist, then everything is permitted”. Yet, many atheists are good people with sound moral principles. Why is this if life has no meaning or purpose? It’s all merely a matter of opinion, isn’t it? Everything is relative, according to the atheist.
I considered this item totally one-sided and distasteful. It was sheer bad taste and a sneering attack on the most sacred aspect of my faith.
Yours etc.,
Anthony Redmond,
Drimnagh, Dublin 12
There’s a lot to be said for ‘fish on Fridays’
Dear Editor, At a time when we are being asked by Pope Francis among others to rethink our relationship to our God-made environment, we are asked to examine our consumption patterns. One aspect of consumption is the food we eat.
As Church, we are also called upon to make acts of personal sacrifice including special efforts on Fridays, the day each week when we commemorate the sacrificial death of Jesus on the Cross.
In May 2010 the Bishops of England and Wales revisited that subject and reintroduced the ancient practice of Friday abstinence as a most clear and obvious way of fulfilling this duty.
Catholic institutions were called upon to respect the new dispensation and school kitchens successfully adapted their menus accordingly. As a former school principal I am very aware of how powerful an impact this ‘fish on Friday’ has become. It brought into weekly focus our twice yearly CAFOD Family Fast Days, which had become so distinctive of English Catholic schools.
Perhaps as Irish Church it is time to consider a ‘fish on Friday’ option.
Yours etc.,
Alan Whelan,
Killarney, Co Kerry.
Turn to daily prayer
Dear Editor, This country at the present time is going through the greatest crisis of faith. For a long time I prayed for another papal visit to this country – now Pope Francis is coming in 2018, and please God there will be a healing of the wounds of the past and a great revival of faith.
I believe in the power of prayer and over the years a lot of my prayers have been answered – I was cured of a life-threatening illness and recovered from two serious accidents.
I urge people to spend a while in prayer daily and to pray for vocations to the priesthood and religious life. Hopefully the Pope’s visit will cause an increase in vocations and this country will have a great revival of faith again.
Yours etc.,
Seamus O Cochrane,
Kiltimagh, Co. Mayo
Meryl, look closer to home
Dear Editor, We sat watching Meryl Streep’s tearful reproof at the Golden Globe Awards: “Violence begets violence.”
This was followed, on television, by the trailers of two forthcoming films from Hollywood, depicting the most brutal violence on screen.
Perhaps her speech could have profitably been directed towards some of her own colleagues or towards some of the hidden violence, present within American society.
Yours etc.,
Judith Leonard,
Raheny, Dublin 5.
No half measures, please
Dear Editor, While I can appreciate our bishops’ reluctance to make a martyr out of the supposedly silenced priest Fr Tony Flannery, it is still depressing to read that they are unwilling to take any action to prevent him from saying Mass publicly within their dioceses. Fr Flannery is out of ministry for good reason, after denying that Jesus founded our priesthood and after being willing only to uphold an understanding of the Eucharist any Protestant could have proclaimed.
Yours etc.,
Susan Doherty,
Derry, Co. Derry.