I don’t deny for a second that the Church is going through a very difficult time in Ireland at the moment. However, as I see it, it is most certainly not all doom and gloom. Certainly, the figures tell part of the story - 3 ordinations for the Archdiocese of Dublin is disappointing - but anyone who regularly reads Irish newspapers will often see how many people in the media have a very strong agenda against the Church: it is open to venomous criticism from all angles - criticised when it doesn’t act on certain issues and criticised when it does act by those who firmly believe that the Church and its teachings have no place in Irish society. When it comes to Ireland and the Church, one must so often take the media’s slant with a pinch of salt.
The picture on the ground is actually quite positive in my opinion. After a very turbulent decade in the Irish Church, it does seem to be finding its voice again. In terms of vocations, there does seem to be a slight recovery in terms of the numbers of men entering the National Seminary. Even though we’ve seen the priest shortage coming for the past decade, it seems that it is only now that the bishops are seriously trying to reverse the trend of falling vocations - but better late than never! I’ve noticed a greater amount of vocations literature and posters in church porches and the advertisement of the website aimed at promoting vocations -
www.vocations.ie . There is, in my opinion, much more active work which needs to be done in terms of attracting vocations to religious life - I think vocations directors should be going to schools and colleges and actively promoting it as a worthwhile path for one to take. Parents, of course, have a duty too in this, although I am sure it has been very difficult for many Irish parents to encourage their children in a religious vocation given the vast opportunities that were available to young people here during the 1990’s and up to the present time.
Many people seem to be greatly lamenting the fact that religious orders in Ireland are slowly letting go of the influence they had in the health and education systems. Again, I don’t think this is evidence of a truly weakening Church - granted, many of the orders which have pulled out of health and education have done so due to falling vocations, but even the religious orders themselves do not want the education system completely run by the Catholic Church - even today, over 90% of Ireland’s schools are operated under the patronage of the Catholic Church! Perhaps, our religious orders can take the oportunity to examine where in Irish society their ministry can now be put to best use.
You might be interested to note that the Irish bishops have recently set up a website -
www.catholicbishops.ie - which aims to give people a clear insight into developments in the Catholic Church in Ireland. It also includes some video clips, including audio recordings of Pope John Paul II homilies and speeches from his 1979 pilgrimage to Ireland…
They regulate personal choices more then any other so called “free” state.
