Any new organisation which attempts to be a genuine voice for priests is to be welcomed. The fledgling Association of Catholic Priests admits that getting agreement on its terms of reference from all priests would be practically impossible and has instead opted for a manifesto of goals to be worked towards and asked priests who are interested to sign up. Priests are by nature of their training and ministry steeped in a culture of individuality.
What appears to be unusual about this new priests' representative group is that it doesn't concern itself with championing the everyday worries of priests such as heavy workloads, pay and pension reductions, bullying, poor management and in many cases, lack of communication from bishops among other concerns. Indeed, with the continued emphasis of some bishops on the role of the laity, priests may well feel increasingly isolated and forgotten. Instead, it offers a list of policies that it would like implemented and many, though noble objectives, seem somewhat aloof from current concerns.
One very current concern in the wake of the scandals is the nature of the Episcopacy in the Church and is the deeper point of the events of the last year. The Church in Ireland is too defined by Episcopacy, giving the impression that the whole of the Church serves it and that all debate and change begins and ends at the bishops' door. And, of course, it does but this is not as it should be; the current culture sees the episcopacy as stewards of a largely supplicant clergy and laity and all decisions come from a meeting room in Maynooth, rather than the broader Church influencing and being involved in such meetings.
In terms of priests having a voice in the policy direction of the Church, which this new organisation seems to want to push, a key question should be asked and that is what happens to a priest when he becomes a bishop? What happens when he crosses over and no longer seems to represent the group he came from and instead becomes a tool of Rome and the distance grows between him and his priests?
The Episcopacy needs reform and perhaps one simple reform in Ireland would help reinvigorate the episcopacy, priests and laypeople if taken. Bishops should be given fixed terms in their ministry, when they are called by the broader Church, to leadership, just like the leaders of religious orders.
Catholic Schools
There is little doubt now that the Department of Education has in mind particular schools throughout the country that it would like to take over from Catholic patronage. However, this raises a number of issues such as what if parents don't want to change patrons, who will the new patrons be, will the Catholic Church be compensated and so on.
There is also a danger for the bishops in all of this. It is the State and many secular voices who are clamouring for the Catholic Church to be divested of its control of the majority of primary schools. Of course, the Church has reminded those voices that it has to be a willing partner in this and bishops have signalled a willingness to dialogue. However, it is a decision for communities and parents and it should be up to the Department of Education and the Minister to convince people of the merit of their case and not be left in the hands of the Church to convince its own flock why they should give up their schools. The Church position is to provide Catholic education as long as parents want it. The more fundamental question from a Catholic point of view is how Catholic are our Catholic schools and what vision is there for the remaining schools after divestment? A much needed debate will certainly take place in the weeks and months ahead.
