On a separate note, check out this interesting link from a few years back.
As the title suggests, I identify with one of these categories. But we need to steer a middle ground between dwelling on the negative and being so happy-clappy that we ignore all the problems in the world. Realism about our situation, uplfited with the virtue of Hope and the gift of Joy is the best course I should think.
Yet another division that needs to be bridged without trampling those of a different disposition.
Just a short post before my next one on our divisions within the Church.
This post came up on the Russian Orthodox Rod Dreher’s blog today, from a US Catholic seminarian writing about the seeds of hope that have been planted by numerous bishops in the US. It’s heartening, especially given the terrible problems amongst both American seminaries and a portion of its episcopate, which the seminarian writing does not shy away from mentioning.
What proportion of US bishops? I can’t say, but given that there are 270 active bishops in the USCCB (active as in not yet retired) there could easily be a large number of good ones working to renew the Church there, as I believe there are.
I bring this up in light of something I linked to in passing in my last post, this Irish Catholic article about Maynooth about six seminarians held back, apparently on account of being ‘too conservative.’
Upon reflection, it occurred to me that something wonderful had happened. Three of the bishops stood up to Maynooth and stood up for their seminarians! I know, it sounds crazy that that seems like a surprise. But the bishops have seemed unwilling to take any responsibility for what is going on there previously. I recall reading an article about the four archbishops of Ireland rejecting the Apostolic Visitation’s report on Maynooth at the time in the Irish Times, but I can’t seem to find it now.
Unfortunately, three of the other seminarians held back are still in limbo or out on an additional pastoral year.
One question this raises, which I would love to know the answer to, is who were the bishops that stood up?
And importantly, were they some of the new ones appointed recently? Do we have a changing of the guard for the better?
If so, we might be seeing seeds of renewal here, like in the US. Only as always, Ireland is a decade or three behind the curve of elsewhere. The seminarian Dreher quotes thinks it will be 50 years before results are widely seen. This is the way of things. But at least let us begin.
There’s not too much we can do about selecting new bishops. But we can pray that the relevant authorities choose the right men for renewal. I’m going to be controversial here and suggest that we need men like George Cardinal Pell, who aren’t afraid to stand up to dissidents, and yet attempt to do so in a spirit of respectful debate rather than silencing them, and moreover aren’t afraid to seriously tackle the abuse crisis while they’re at it.
By Grace and Banners Fallen 