Named this week as the Time Magazine Person of the Year for 2013, Pope Francis did indeed garner this title for many of the reasons that we here at acireland.ie have shared with you over the past nine months. Howard Chua-Eoan, a contributor to Time, gives a short...
Articles
In Preparation for the Synods of 2014 & 2015: Prof Dr Joseph Selling
When Vatican II drew up its document 'On Fostering the Nobility of Marriage and the Family' (Gaudium et Spes, Part II, chapter 1, para. 47-52) the Bishops invited and listened to the voices of married persons and were attentive to their personal experiences. The...
EVANGELII GAUDIUM (The joy of the Gospel) – Highlights
EVANGELII GAUDIUM – THE JOY OF THE GOSPEL HIGHLIGHTS FROM CHAPTER ONE Quotes from the Popes first Apostolic Exhortation Pope Francis has issued his first Apostolic Exhortation today, Evangelii Gaudium, The Joy of the Gospel. The 224-page document outlines the Pope’s...
The Francis Effect (Nov 2013)
Why even atheists should be praying for Pope Francis by Jonathan Freedland, Guardian, (Fri 15th Nov 2013) “As if this weren't enough to have Francis's 76-year-old face on the walls of the world's student bedrooms, he also seems set to lead a church campaign on the...
Another Look at Gaudium et Spes (by Margaret Lee)
Gaudium et Spes - The Church in the Modern World (read it here .....) A Catholic magazine, published in Spain, recently judged that the greatest scandal of Catholicism is that we are not a church of the poor. The election of Pope Francis might help us to redress...
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Mandatory Celibacy: Time to Discuss Its Flaws [Source: VOTF]
“It is not pleasant to call our leaders to account. But the Church institution that seeks to nourish us spiritually is failing in its responsibility, and a primary cause of its failure is the negative aspects of clericalism—a mindset that elevates celibate males to a...
Ireland hosts ‘International Movement We are Church’ Gathering Nov 2013
Ireland played host to a gathering of the 'International Movement We are Church' (IMWAC). Representatives from 11 European Countries (Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom) and the United States...
Women resistant to Pope Francis’ call for new theology
"Personally, I am not sure why there needs to be a theology of women, and certainly not one written by men," A recent Vatican symposium was held to mark the 25th anniversary of Pope John Paul II's 1988 apostolic letter Mulieris Dignitatem ("On the Dignity and Vocation...
CCR Letter to Pope Francis ready for signing [deadline 25th Nov 2013]
To all supporters of church reform Letter to Pope Francis ready for signing Thank you for all of your input to help make this letter to Pope Francis our best effort. It is now posted and ready for signing. The signing period is up to 25th November 2013. The letter...
Reflections from the Down & Connor Diocesan Congress (held Sept 2013)
‘A Church welcoming to all, without exception!” seemed to be the rallying call from the first Down and Connor diocesan ‘Congress’ held in the Waterfront Hall, Belfast, on Saturday 28th September 2013; and this was indeed a welcome event in the history of Down and...
Pope and Rabbi make history in the Vatican (vaticaninsider and cathnews)
Sources: vaticaninsider.lastampa.it (29th Sept 2013) and cathnews.com (8th Oct 2013) Argentina’s Rabbi Abraham Skorka, in this interview, tells how Pope Francis and he are making history by their friendship, and reveals that they dream of travelling together to the...
Religious Congregations Should Lift Sanctions On Six Irish Priests
by Fr Tony Flannery Source: http://www.associationofcatholicpriests.ie/ Pope Francis’ rebuke of the Curia for its “inappropriate behaviour” in the censuring of priests, his wish that issues of discipline be dealt with at local church level, and his dramatic...
“A Journey… Hand-in-hand together (“insieme”)… Believers and Non-believers.”
by Eddie Molloy On the plane to Italy recently for a short break I finished reading Tony Flannery’s harrowing account of how the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) tried to silence him and ultimately barred him from functioning as a priest. In...
‘Catholic Church Reform’ (CCR) Latest News
Irish Join Global Catholics Urging Church Reform (Source: Irish Examiner 1st Oct 2013) Click to read link 100 Catholic Reform Movements Send Letter To Pope (Source: catholicireland.net 2nd Oct 2013) Click to read link To All Who Have Been Involved And Supported Our...