MANY OF the clergy at yesterday’s inaugural meeting of the Association of Catholic Priests were hopeful of the change it could bring to the church.
Fr Abe Kennedy, a school chaplain in Portumna, Co Galway, wanted the association to address the anti-clergy feeling which he said was a huge block to the work of priests.
Chris Fox of the Mill Hill Missionaries in Dublin described clerical abuse as a “shadow” over all priests. He also hoped the organisation could tackle the lack of donations, take an honest look at celibacy and the involvement of lay people and women in the church.
Fr Bill Cosgrave of Ferns also hoped that the new organisation could advocate for the involvement of lay people and women.
Fr Pat O’Brien parish priest at Caherlistrane, Co Galway, hoped the organisation could bring the real challenges of society and the church into the open and deal with issues such as women’s ordination and celibacy. However, he was disappointed at the lack of younger priests at the meeting.
Owen O’Sullivan, a Capuchin in Gurranebraher, Cork, wanted to see structural change to make the church more “inclusive, participatory and accountable”, he said.
Getting back to helping the needy and the poor rather than being concerned with titles and authority was one of the main issues which struck Eamon Aylward, executive secretary of the Irish Missionary Union.
