“the Irish Church Wants to Renew Itself”

By Alessandro Speciale
Vatican Insider
May 11, 2012

http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/homepage/the-vatican/detail/articolo/irlanda-ireland-15042/

The Archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin

Presenting the upcoming 50th International Eucharistic Congress to journalists, the Archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin - who has been instrumental in the internal clean-up of the Church across the world - said this would be no sumptuous and celebratory event but a small and “modest” affair. The event, which will run from 10 to 17 June 2012, has the potential to push for steps forward along the path towards “renewal” and “reconciliation”. This will be important for the Irish Church given the battering it received after the explosion of the paedophilia scandal which shows no signs of ending.

As has already been announced, Benedict XVI will not be participating in the event: “We invited him” but the journey towards renewal is going to be a long one, Martin said in response to requests for clarification on this point. He went on to say that a papal visit to Ireland would be a vital part of the process towards renewal of the Irish Church and must represent the culmination of this renewal, not a step in-between. Cardinal Marc Ouellet, Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops will attend the event on behalf of the Pope and will preside over the opening liturgy on Sunday 10 June.

The Irish prelate did not wish to make a statement on the never-ending flow of requests for the resignation of the Island's Primate, Cardinal Sean Brady. A BBC documentary has accused the cardinal of not warning a number of families about the fact that their children were suffering sexual abuse at the hands of a priest, despite being in possession of a list of names. Instead, Martin stressed several times that the road to renewal taken by the Irish Church must be accompanied by a greater commitment to faith, in a Country that has been deeply affected by secularisation.

The prelate also warned against what he sees as a widespread tendency in Ireland, to reduce the Second Vatican Council to certain aspects to do with the reforms of external structures. Here he was referring to the activities of the Association of Catholic Priests, whose members include a quarter of Ireland's priests and which asked for reforms in the Church in light of the paedophilia scandal, starting with a review of the obligation for Catholic priests to remain celibate. According to the Archbishop of Dublin – who pointed out that a dialogue with the Association was still going on – the Second Vatican Council was a Council of renewal whose fruits, however, still remained to be reaped.

In the aftermath of the crisis that was kick-started by the sex abuse scandal and it's cover-up, a spiritual renewal of faith is needed, as well as a deeper knowledge of Christ and his message in a Church that is showing signs of tiredeness - Martin explained. We must rediscover the Irish Church's original missionary spirit, adapting it to our times.

During the Congress, there will be a day dedicated specifically to “reconciliation”. On this day, penitential liturgy will be celebrated, with texts prepared with the help of sex abuse victims.

According to Martin, the Eucharistic Congress will act as a reflection and presentation of the Irish Church, a Church that has and has yet to face huge challenges but is still alive and anxious to start a path of renewal. There will not be masses of people at this event as there are at World Youth Days. Neither should it come as a surprise if protests break out against the Church. There are divisions within the Irish Catholic Church and sometimes there are not healthy divisions, the prelate said. But the Eucharist has the power of reconciliation. Communion with Christ fosters communion and reconciliation with our neighbours.