IRELAND
The Irish Times
IRELAND REMAINS overwhelmingly Catholic in identity but has become alienated from church teaching on sexual matters. The 2011 census found that 84 per cent of people in this State regarded themselves as Catholics. However, the great majority of Catholics in a more recent survey rejected papal teaching on who should be priests, on divorce, homosexuality and contraception. The emergence of such an a la carte approach reflects a loss of authority within the church caused by sex abuse scandals and extensive cover-ups, along with the emphasis placed on personal conscience by Vatican II.
The fact that a controversial survey involving religious beliefs was commissioned and published by the Association of Catholic Priests is, perhaps, the most significant development. It follows the silencing of Tony Flannery, one of the association’s four leaders, by Rome and the release of an edited version of a “path of renewal” for the Irish church, drawn up by Vatican churchmen who visited here last year. Brendan Hoban may protest they are not dissenting priests and that the association is merely reflecting the views of parishioners. Rome may not regard their behaviour in that light.
There has been an increasing emphasis in recent years on centralised Vatican discipline and religious orthodoxy. An integral part of that process has involved the selection and promotion of suitably compliant bishops in “local churches” throughout the world. Renewed control by Rome and a crackdown on liberal theological discourse has generated resistance in some European countries, but with little effect.
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