Clericalism
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Lay preaching: it’s not who preaches — it’s who’s heard
The German bishops wanted to promote the lay homily. It was of no use: the liturgy dicastery rejected the request – and made it clear where it sees the place of laypeople in the liturgy.
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The bishop said “you should be ashamed of yourself”
One woman’s decades-long calling to priesthood was met with shame, silence and repeated institutional denial.
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What if the Algorithm wears a Mitre?
A non-clericalist model is essential if the church hopes to keep the passion and creativity of lay believers.
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Being heard
In a saturated media landscape reaching beyond shrinking parishes means embracing fresh tools that carries the Message further.
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Tend the flame
Valuing tradition means keeping its living fire alight. A dynamic tradition fosters maturity and freedom.
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Insufficient Courage
A boy raised on Mass, confession and Saturday novenas in the West of Ireland took his vows at eighteen. Now nearing eighty and suspended from ministry for fourteen years, he finds the certainties of his upbringing replaced by searching questions about the Church.
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The theology of chairs
There is a particular irony in celebrating free elections and participatory governance from behind a lectern while your audience sits in silent rows. The Vatican’s meeting with lay leaders exposed a contradiction at the heart of the Church’s synodal project.
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Open church doors through respectful dialogue
Mission is not a one-way broadcast but an invitation to mutual learning. Parishes and ministries are called to open their doors, engage in respectful dialogue with their neighbours and discover how Christ’s message of mercy can be heard, experienced and lived together.
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Synodality won’t trickle down
Expecting clerics; hierarchical leaders alone to drive Synodality may be unrealistic. Parish communities in Australia already demonstrated their readiness for a synodal church during Plenary Council preparations. The path forward may require complementary action from the bottom up.
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Synodal journey shifts from excitement to episcopal control
When Irish bishops launched the Synodal Pathway in 2021, they had no idea Pope Francis was about to announce a global process weeks later. The coincidence forced a rapid restructuring of Ireland’s entire approach, folding its national ambitions into Rome’s wider timeline.
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