This article is from page 13 of the 2012-11-13 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 13 JPG
A LARGE number of parish priests in the Killaloe Diocese have given their backing to a revolutionary new document which calls for an end to clerical celibacy, the ordination of female priests a radical change to how the diocese is operated.
The diocese has just published its first report of a series of “cluster” meeting involving more than 700 priests and lay people in Clare and Tipperary.
The process, which was set in mo- tion by Bishop Kieran O’Reilly, has resulted in the creation of a new blueprint for the future of the diocese – as envisioned by local parish priests and lay people and not by The Vatican.
The process started in October of 2011 with two large open meeting one involving the parish priests of the Killaloe Diocese, the other involving representative of the lay community. These meeting led to the creation of 12 “cluster” groups in different areas across the diocese where priests and lay people have been regularly meeting for months.
This process has been directed by Bishop O’Reilly, Fr John Kelly, Fr Pat Malone, Fr Donagh O’Meara and Sr Clare Slattery alongside lay members Leonard Cleary, Sean Conlan, Michael Geaney, Maureen Kelly and Marie O’Connell-Quinn.
A report into the clusters operations to date was published on the Killaloe Diocese earlier this month. Of the 12 clusters who took part in the report, 11 indicated that allowing priests to marry, ordaining women into ministries, creating a new role of lay people in the church and fostering appreciation for local priests were priority issues.
Nine of the clusters cited the ordination of women as an important issue, with three citing the promotion of vocation and two raising the issue of priests from abroad coming to the diocese to preach.
The report also found that a crisis of faith among young people, a disconnect with the church itself and the development of the clusters system to be important issues in the diocese.
“One of the most striking impressions from these conversations is that many people feel a strong affinity and connection, a sense of iden- tity and belonging with their local parish community, despite feelings of disconnect with the institutional Church,” said the report.
“However, it is also true that hurt or anger with stances or decisions taken by the institutional Church impacts negatively at local parish level and leads to people walking away.
“It is clear that these are days of immense change. There are new needs to be met and new challenges are set before us. These conversations set out the reality of these challenges.”
The report can be read in full at www.killaloediocese.ie.