Bishop Willie Walsh wants a discussion on Catholic sexual morality and on celibacy and the ordination of women. These have been discussed ad infinitum since Vatican II and it is difficult to see any rationale for discussing them now at a time when the Church in Ireland needs, and deserves, something much deeper than this.
Changing the rule on celibacy in the morning would not solve the vocation crisis, neither would ordaining women which would damage Christian unity, especially with the Churches of Eastern Orthodoxy. And neither of these issues being discussed or changed right now will solve the abuse crisis and its aftermath.
In fact, these issues are to some extent red herrings in the current climate. In reality, people are more interested in hearing about the practice of Christianity, and witnessing the practice of Christianity, rather than discussions about these other matters.
Pope Benedict has acknowledged that we have to speak about the Catholic faith, about Christianity, as a positive life option.
Fr Timothy Radcliffe, the Dominican, says that Christianity has to be first and foremost about friendship, and that it was only in friendship that Jesus was able to bring sinners to a different viewpoint on the way they led their lives.
If that is true, the Church could change all its teachings in the morning but it wouldn't necessarily mean anyone was any closer to Christ.
The Church, in its true and broadest sense, is looking for hopeful leadership, not leadership that just talks about hope.
People have advocated reducing the number of dioceses and perhaps this would be a good move, but we are already changing boundaries in dioceses around the country with priests being pooled to serve clusters of parishes.
Others advocate change in the way bishops are chosen but, in that too, there has been improvement.
Take, for example, the relatively recent appointments of Bishop Seamus Freeman, Diarmuid Martin, Noel Treanor and Denis Brennan.
The major problem that has led the Church into this mess is the culture of power and control and self-preservation at all costs.
This is what needs to be rooted out. Of course, this culture is by no means unique to the Catholic Church. All institutions are prey to it because at the end of the day all institutions are run by fallible human beings.
The renewal of the Church must come from within. That means that more than a few auxiliary bishops need to take ownership for the past. Service and self-sacrifice must come before personal advancement and self-preservation. When you think about it, what could possibly be more Christian, or more Catholic?
