- Written by: John Carr
Pope Francis is approaching 100 days as our Holy Father. The beginning of his papal service has drawn massive attention and offered new ways of carrying out the leadership of the Universal Church. There is amazing interest in this unpredictable story. Washington was both fascinated and appalled by a quick election with no visible campaign, no declared candidates, no consultants or commercials, and the only exit polls were black or white smoke from a chimney.
- Written by: Pamela Perry
Australian Bishops - Geoffrey Robinson, Bill Morris and Pat Power call on the new Pope to seize the opportunity of his appointment to not only sweep the Church clean but to put His /God’s house in order for all time.
- Written by: Fr Hoban
THE IRISH Church faces large-scale parish closures within 20 years unless married former priests are permitted to serve again, a spokesman for the Association of Catholic Priests (ACP) has warned.
In his new book, Who Will Break Bread For Us?, Fr Brendan Hoban calls on the Church to rethink mandatory clerical celibacy. He also suggests it should invite some of the hundreds of men who left the priesthood, for reasons such as to marry, to return to ministry. “At one stroke, they could help solve the eucharistic famine that is approaching us,” said Fr Hoban. He added that a parish in the west of Ireland has seven former priests among its parishioners and some of these would be very willing to serve again as priests even in a part-time capacity.