Church change from the ground up
A CATHOLIC Church out of touch and sync with its followers, or at worst indifferent, has been one of the most common criticisms levelled at the church in recent times.
In the wake of the utterly damning and shameful reports on child sex abuse, church authorities struggled to formulate a response which would balance humility with the clear need to reach out to its followers who felt deeply betrayed by its actions in the past, and the contravention of many of its basic teachings.
That this should happen to an institution which was once omnisicent in this country is instructive.
That the church has foundered everywhere, in the wake of its own crises, is no small surprise. For too long it was too powerful, and this power destroyed any pretension of humility.
Now all is changing, and this is to be welcomed. The Ryan and Murphy reports were seismic occurences, and they will continue to have profound implications for some time.
Evidence of this can been seen in the appeal by people in the diocese of Kildare and Leighlin for the appointment of a local and non-academic as the new bishop. People have indicated their preference for someone who is grounded in parish experience, rather than academia, and who is youthful and can engage across a wide spectrum of people.
It amounts to a cry to break with tradition, and may signal the mere start of more significant changes to come. It is an interesting call, and demonstrates the clear need for a new relationship between church authorities and the people they purport to lead.
Coupled with this, the diocese of Kildare and Leighlin is proposing a shake up of the running of its parishes. This is occasioned by necessity and will involved the clustering of parishes and a greater role for laity. In many instances, changes are already underway, with more laity involvement taking place.
It seems that change in the structures and the operations of the Catholic church are taking place more from the ground up, than from the top down.
In many ways, this is probably best. An institution that has been blinkered in much of the way it has conducted its affairs, is slowly beginning to adjust to new realities, and to find that its greatest asset is its public.
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Weather for Tullamore
Thursday 17 May 2012
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