From Patsy McGarry IT
The new Bishop of Galway Michael Duignan (51) spoke with disarming frankness at his installation in the Cathedral of Our Lady Assumed into Heaven and St Nicholas near the Salmon Weir Bridge last Sunday.
“We can no longer ignore the fact that much of what the church has built up in Ireland over the last two centuries is crumbling before our eyes,” said Duignan, the 13th man to hold the position in Ireland’s youngest Catholic diocese.
“Many no longer believe the message. Many of our parishes are struggling,” he said. “Despite great work done by generations of priests, religious and lay people now, at times, it feels like we have been out all night without a single catch.”
Galway holds a key place in the recent history of the Catholic Church since Duignan’s predecessor, Eamonn Casey, came to grief 30 years ago after it emerged he had fathered a son, Peter, with American Annie Murphy.
The resignation in disgrace of Casey, though it pales into insignificance with what emerged later, was a pivotal moment. Little was believable before. Everything seemed believable afterwards.
“It was seismic. The Bishop Casey affair! The beginning of the end of trust in mitred men. Eamonn Casey’s big, blustering personality had seemed endearingly chummy to many people,” said former president, Mary McAleese this week
IT LINK
PAT SAYS
It’s good to see some of the younger bishops acknowledging that the RCC is finished as a force in Ireland.
At least one of two of them are recognising the game is up.
It’s true that EAMON CASEY began the landslide in 1992.
Then that has been followed by the three decade sexual abuse tsunami.
Not to mention the Tuam Babies and the Magdalen Laundries.
NO REAL PLANNING
But the Irish bishops are not really making practical plans for demise.
They are tinkering around the edges and doing aot of talking and creating a on answer – The Synodal Path.
It will be another “report” that will sit on a shelf gathering dust.
Even if the wanted to, Rome will not allow them to go to practical solutions like abandoning celibacy, ordain married men and ordain women.
So they will just sell buildings and other church property to invest money to cope with the dropping collections and donations.
When the captains of the ship are not taking real steps to stop it sinking then the crew and passengers lose heart too.
The Irish RC ship is sinking fast and no one is even bothering to sing “NEARER MY GOD TO THEE” ship sinking 😳
BISHOP PAT BUCKLEY 