The Association of Catholic Priests The Society of St.Peter and Paul

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The Association of Catholic Priests (ACP) should expand its role beyond being a voice of reform and become an agent of reform in the church, its annual general meeting was told. An ACP meeting of "priests from the southern dioceses" (doesn't say which ones - do they mean the Province of Cashel? It was also suggested that, while the ACP “has won recognition as an alternative voice to the official church leadership and it has created a platform for real debate on reform issues”, this should be expanded. Peter and Paul based in Kenya believe we have a contribution to make to the Church through our society.

We had an excellent meeting and a full house so, it seems, there is still life left in the ecumenical dream.To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. The ACPs acceptance of the Creed and adherence to defined teaching of the Catholic Church has been challenged by some right wing conservative news such as The Catholic World Report. These documents include in the first place the Council’s central text, often described as the very key to the Council, namely Lumen Gentium (Dogmatic Constitution on the Church).

The Catholic Church, under severe pressure due to a shortage of priests, was dealt a further blow last year when it lost two of its best-loved characters, Fr Kevin McNamara and Fr Con Cronin. In the light of negative reactions to the Anglican introduction of same-sex blessings, and the Vatican’s publication of Fiducia Supplicans lifting the prohibition of the same, a cynic might observe that many in the Church do not wish to exercise the freedoms that they are offered – or, more precisely, do not wish others to exercise those freedoms. The Association of Catholic Priests (ACP) should expand its role beyond being a voice of reform and become an agent of reform in the church, a meeting of its leadership team was told. At a conference organised by the ACP in Dublin's Regency Hotel, Fr Brendan Hoban told the gathering "that clamping down on "wayward" opinions was not the way to deal with issues".What a truly apostolic mind - so like the apostle who said "This could have been sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor" (Mark 14:5). This brochure along with membership form might be given individually to all priests saying that we miss them and are anxious to hear what they have to say.

The celebration of the lives of the saints encourages us to move towards becoming the people God created us to be, that we might set the world on fire, as Catherine of Sienna put it. As Roman Catholics begin to explore, belatedly, the concept of synodality, they might be puzzled to see that a system designed to guard against autocracy seems to encourage open dissent in a way that the utterances of a single leader do not. It was felt that "while the emergence of Pope Francis has created a positive and supportive context for the ACP in the wider church, the situation in Ireland is such that the ACP will not just need to continue with its work, but develop it further. The meeting, was attended by about 200 people and resulted in the establishment of a new lay organisation for Irish Catholics with an interim title of the "Association of Catholics in Ireland".

As he spoke, I remember being surprised that the Vatican permitted such flagrant opposition to Church doctrine by one of its priests. This intervention’, they say, ‘is unfair, unwarranted and unwise’ because, contrary to the claims of ‘some reactionary fringe groups’, the ACP is not ‘a small coterie of radical priests with a radical agenda’. The poor who dont have ready access to bread – let alone the Eucharist – must have been so impressed. We are and we wish to remain”, the statement added, “at the very heart of the Church, committed to putting into place the reforms of the Second Vatican Council”.

In November 2012, at a meeting attended by over 300 people, the objectives of the Association of Catholics in Ireland were formally approved. They voted instead for the status quo but suggested that it might be an idea to re-open Junior Seminaries. He is present in the Sacrifice of the Mass not only in the person of his minister, “the same now offering, through the ministry of priests, who formerly offered himself on the cross,” but especially in the Eucharistic species. These have included in handling cases of clerical abuse, [10] [11] greater involvement of lay people within church governance, [12] results of public consultations [13] [14],the treatment of priests.

Priests have accused Education Minister Ruairi Quinn of trying to run religion out of schools with his suggestion that teachers cut religion classes to give more time to maths and reading. The Irish Theological Association is putting on a day on Saturday, November 26th in All Hallows College on the New Missal. I have posted this item on this thread because the ACP have established links to the Austrian group and frequently cite them as kindred spirits. This leader comment, intended to mark the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, has been back and forth a couple of times between The Tablet and the Church Times. Its objective is to promote the formation and support of priestly spirituality and Catholic evangelism.