The mission of the Church must now be put before the institution of the Church writes Fr Alan Hilliard

''I've never missed confession at Christmas before''. The upset was palpable in the elderly lady's voice as she spoke of her anger over the Ryan and Murphy reports. Her confusion and hurt is reflected by many as the numbers attending the sacrament of reconciliation decline. In many senses this is a tragedy as people are being denied the grace of a beautiful sacrament.

However, there is strong evidence that the last few decades of the twentieth century encouraged good people to develop a deeper relationship with God while lessening their dependence on the institutional Church. The scandals revealed in the Murphy Report, and the lack of consensus as to an appropriate response by bishops, has further diminished people's respect and subsequent dependence on the institutional Church.

The Murphy Report and the subsequent fallout reveal that the Church continues to fail in the task of honesty. Not alone can the Church be honest about what it is to be human, but the report into the management of child sexual abuse by the Archdiocese of Dublin has shown that dishonesty can permeate the core of any organisation. It is not acceptable that those with responsibility for leadership use archaic moral formulations and are selective with facts to justify stances that serve only to promote suffering and distress among the people of God.

Behaviour

These are not just individual instances of failure but are patterns of behaviour that will continue long after the report has been consigned to history. The time for propositions is over; the language of transformation is the only way forward.

The period of history captured in the Murphy Report simply asks can the Church be honest. The days of dominant theocracies that act without governance and accountability must draw to an end. The future lies in collective negotiated authority. The challenge is not just to get heads to roll but that those with responsibility for leadership face the real issues that lie behind the report and be honest. Setting up child protection guidelines in every nook and cranny of a diocese is not enough; the real challenges and issues run deeper. Failure to identify and remediate the deeper challenges will result in revisiting and repeating nightmares rather than creating and enacting dreams of hope. Actions that seek only to act as recompense for the past and ignore the systemic factors that contributed to the outcomes outlined in the Murphy Report are paltry.

Distracting

Identifying individuals that appear to be guiltier than others is only distracting from the systemic problems that are in evidence across various administrations. Alongside individual guilt there is corporate guilt. The growing need for the Church is that it asks how it can be honest about what it is to be human and to be at the service of God's people. The mission of the Church must now be put before the institution of the Church. Gandhi said that if he could persuade himself that God could be found in a Himalayan cave, ''I would proceed there immediately, but I know that I cannot find him apart from humanity''. In a similar vein the Church cannot progress without the involvement of those that it purports to serve. In the hierarchical order however, the higher one looks the less evidence there is of such involvement.

In the past we allowed, and continue to allow, dioceses to function without accountability. We sit while trite answers are passed out and reasonable questions are not answered. We have an ability to be silent when authority speaks and accept what are often pathetic excuses. We can shun those that are prophetic and fail to encourage words that hold the seeds of hope. What's more, we coalesce with the view that things can't change and with views of humanity that are about control and obedience rather than fulfilment and happiness. Despite all the consultations and meetings over the years it took the Murphy Report to say what we've been thinking, maybe even to express what we know. Until we mature and act like adults and not act like frightened children the problems will continue. It is worth restating that the time for propositions is over; the language of transformation is the only way forward.

Criticism

In conclusion, it is a sad reflection of the atmosphere within the Irish Church when those that offer criticism feel they have to veil their comments in anonymity. It is a further sad reflection that external agents such as the media continue to lead the debate as to the role of the Church in society. This highlights the need for credible and authentic internal structures that can help the Christian community articulate an understanding of its role and value in Ireland today.

It is from this context that the question such as those raised in relation to control of schools needs to be examined. Surveys such as the one undertaken by Ipsos/MRBI (see page 10) this week show a major shift in mindsets that may influence future policy. The poll is also a strong indication that serious and transparent consultations need to be undertaken that investigate and express the mandate that the people of God entrust to their leaders as the Church in Ireland faces an uncertain future. The people served, like the lady mentioned in the opening paragraph, deserve a better, more honest to God Church.

Fr Alan Hilliard is coordinator of the NOSTRA programme at Mary Immaculate College, Limerick. He is completing a Masters in Applied Social Science and is a priest of the Archdiocese of Dublin.