Cork bishop says Church will not reject people who use contraception, have premarital sex

...if the church was a political party,” said Bishop Buckley blah blah My parents are church going Catholics. I don't think they'd be naive enough to confuse a secular entity with a theocratic one, an issue the Church were never too clear about in Ireland.

Bishop Buckley is way off track on this - leaving one to guess he is past retirement age. Any Catholic knows that they cannot receive the Holy Eucharist when in the state of mortal sin. For a bishop to tell them otherwise is way off course and scandalous. All the nonsense about "the table" is the old V2 talk and goes with the destruction that brought on the Church. The Church was founded by Christ Himself. He sacrificed Himself on the cross to save us and we commemorate that in the Holy sacrifice of the Mass at the Altar. For a bishop to misguide by implying anyone in grievous sin can receive the Body of Christ is simply a tragedy. He should be calling all back to confession away from the sins of fornication and contraception and abortion as Jesus would do. The only real growth in the Church today, and thank God for it, is the Extraordinary Form of the Holy Mass and the traditional sacraments that accompany it. The good news today is a third Cistercian Monastery has reclaimed its rich heritage (Czech Republic this time). This rebirth is occurring across the world from the Americas to Europe to here in Australia (over 20 years here now). Ireland is still behind the times unfortunately as many of the clergy are still caught in the V2 trappings, lingo and Protestantized stage productions that previously were peaceful, reverend and holy Masses,vespers,Benediction etc. The Latin Mass Society in Ireland Mass listings still has too many gaps. Please God that will soon change.

Catholicism is not the man-made religion invented at Vatican II. It is a religion founded by Jesus Christ Who made the rules that cannot be changed.It is a voluntary religion, you can take it or leave it. Jesus left His Church in the hands of the Apostles and their descendents the bishops. In the sixteenth century many Catholics became Protestants, compromising on many of the tenets of Christ's commandments. At Vatican II many Catholics, including bishops became Protestants. The recent diatribe by Bishop Buckley is proof of that. In Christ's Catholicism, fornicators were guilty of breaking the seventh Commandment. Those who practiced contraception were also guilty of mortal sin. Christ loved the person, but hated the sin. He warned the sinner that without stopping the sin and repenting, they would go to Hell for all eternity. Not to go to Sunday Mass was another mortal sin according to the commandments of the Church. When Bishop Buckley says such sinners can 'take their place at the table the Lord has prepared for us' he says such mortal sinners can receive Holy Communion as. This, the Church teaches, is a worse mortal sin than contraception, fornication or adultry. But for a Bishop to advise mortal sinners - with no mention of regret, repentance or confession - that the Church invites them to receive the Eucharest, is the work of a heretic, not a Catholic bishop.

h'e desperate - tehre have been many reports on IC , Irish times, etc etc of how the church has collapsed in Ireland. A perfect example is how almost 75% of the people there support changing the constitution to allow gays to marry...............Sorrry bishop - much too late. if you expect to see someone at mass on sunday bring yourself a mirror.

The good bishop has encapsulated the rasion d'etre of the Church which is to save sinners while acknowledging that we are all in need of God's grace. Jesus Himself stated that he was acting in the role of the physician to bring healing to those who were afflicted. We are all human and in need of supernatural grace to move beyond the internal conflicts in our lives.

That presupposes that the people involved are TRYING to change. Not just people who believe it is their right to do these things and continue to do them. You have to be trying to conform, not in active rebellion.

Jacers - very well said!

Wonderful! Great and Good Priest!

“These are all ideals that we must try to live up to. If you do not meet all these ideals, it does not mean that you cannot take your place at the table the Lord has prepared for you. The Church is a refuge for the weak, not a home for the perfect.” Beautifully said and true, wish we had many more like him.

How sooo very Christian of you Bishop. It's about time.

It is the Church's job as Christ's appointed body on earth to teach and discern those immutable truths passed down from Christ via the Apostles, sacred tradition and the Scriptures. To reinforce them in changing and debased times throughout history as man is wont to appoint himself arbiter of truth, right and wrong. The church never rejects anyone, they however can reject the church and her teachings albeit with the knowledge that there are consequences if not in this life then in the next.

If people who think the Roman Catholic Church is all about collecting money in baskets or plates in local parishes, they should stop to think of the enormity of freedom for all to enter St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, or any of the other great RCC cathedrals. There are millions of people who visit St. Peter’s and other RCC cathedrals year after year. Most of these visitors are not Catholics… for most, St. Peter’s and other great Cathedrals are just stop spots on the tourist trail, including camera-snapping Chinese, Japanese and durty knees people. Not one cent is charged to the millions visiting St. Peter’s… not one single cent. Imagine if there was a charge… but there isn’t. There is only one day in each year when the RCC asks for money from the faithful – it’s called the ‘Peter’s Pence’ collection day, when, on that one day, the billion-plus Catholics are asked to support the Catholic Church’s mission financially. On one day in each year - get that. Most of us actually donate cents and pennies … so no riches there either. Local parish collections pay for altar flowers, prayers candles, electricity, church heating and all the other things you would pay for in your own home. Get it right please and stop imagining the RCC and other Christian Churches are all about money.

The why is that I remember a story about two ladies arriving for Mass arm-in-arm at Dublin's Gardner St. Church(“oul’ biddies” as we Dubliners would say) asking each other for coins for the money plate on the way in to the church. Neither had loose change and they fretted loudly over that between themselves. Per chance, a priest was outside the church door, welcoming people to Mass and he said to them “Nobody needs money to go into the house of God. Go on in with yourselves” and he ushered them inside. I was reminded of that many years later while queuing up outside St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome amongst the throngs of thousands of visitors like me. Although we went through a rigorous security check that day, not one person was asked to pay at or for the security checks or to enter the Basilica - there was no admission charge after the security checks. So I have to say to all who think the Bishop and the Church wants people back at Mass for money reasons… think again and you’ll see why. There is no monetary charge for Eucharistic celebration or for one’s self soul-searching or forgiveness.

markday is utterly wrong. Leaving aside all the derogatory analytical comments I could make in response to this Bishop’s comments in his interview with The Irish Examiner newspaper, I have to say he’s hit the simple Christian message on the nail. Not only are the precincts of a Catholic Church a refuge for the weak but they are also sources of strength for the many. I know people who do not go to Mass but who often drop into a Catholic Church outside of Mass times “for a chat with God”, as one man who drops in daily, said to me. “It’s a place where you can pray and chat and be at peace with God without all that ceremonial dressy priest thing and the holier than thou shenanigans of the crowds at Mass” he added. I think he’s lost the real message of the Church regarding celebration of the Holy Eucharist, which is what the Mass is all about but he’s got a really good point that many would associate with. So has Bishop Buckley about urging people back to celebrating the Mass of the Holy Eucharist… and money has nothing to do with it. I’ll tell you why…

They've got no other choice. The pew pews are empty and so are the collection boxes. Othewise, it's "the last one out, please blow out the candles." the changes may be coming, but they are too little, too late. very sad.

Usual anti-Catholic drivel from IC. Relentless...

I liked Bishop John Buckley's comments! Darao made some good points, and michaelidaho's view that both the dogmatic believers & the alienated may feel slighted can apply to SOME, in both groups. I recall Father James Kavanagh saying, in 1967, that "The IDEAL becomes the LAW"! So I feel that Bishop Buckley's views are a breath of fresh air. People who utterly reject Matthew 5:28, and the guilt ridden writings of St. Augustine don't consider themselves as "sinning". As I have previously said, sex is not "dirty", nor is the opposite gender's physical anatomy! It is the disrespect of one's partners that is wrong, NOT the understandable feelings we, as human beings, all share. With the old "ideal", many couples married too young, or otherwise prematurely, because they were anxious to become intimate with their mates, and not commit any "serious sin". That is mostly changed now, and couples can mutually please each other, while, at the same time, seeing if they are socially compatible. I consider relationships/marriages to be 60% romance/passion, and 40% compatibility. Liz Taylor & Richard Burton had all the passion in the world, but sadly no compatibility. On the other hand, if a marriage/relationship has no romance, both the man, and woman, will attempt to look elsewhere for it! Once both romance & compatibility are established, then you have the foundation of a good relationship/marriage.

The ironic thing about these comments is that in attempting to appeal to those who are alienated from the Church, he ends up not only just pissing them off, but also the Church’s most devout proponents. This is especially true for the orthodox (e.g. IowaMike) considering the Bishop did not make a distinction from attending Mass and receiving Holy Communion, which is kind of misleading considering the Church’s view on pre-marital sex.

This man should become Pope! This may be the first time I have heard an inclusive message from a member of the Church hierarchy in my entire life

cindyohcindy ... hopefully there is no one out now on the "hunt for sinners". Love is definatly the answer - unconditional. Sadly the love shown by the church is always given with its harsh attacks on women's rights, on men's rights, and with begrudging acceptance of people through labeling them as weak , or failing, or less than moral. Without the church being able to let go of the centuries of controlling people in their lives it will continue to be irrelevant to most people. As for Jesus - probably a good guy all around given the times he lived in. But he is dead and gone for a couple of thousand years now and newer role models abound. bob40wil -- good thought but why should people have to hide? The church should stop its intrusions instead.

2 thoughts: 1. Doesn't sound anything like what they are saying in my church. 2. Come to mass.....and bring your money!

so why would the Church know any of those things unless you're dumb enough to tell them or they have your bedroom bugged.

He seems well meaning but is very much deluded. It is an almost snide denigration of people. Come to mass -- but we know you are "weak". But come anyway to mass even if the church thinks you are weak... quite insulting to the good ordinary people who are going about their personal and intimate lives as they choose. If he had said sex and reproductive rights are the responsibility of the people and no business of the church we could have celebrated.

I think that Jesus came for sinners, the sick need physicians to heal and so it is with sinners. Jesus spend most of his time sinners and He was rebuked. Also, we should leave the judging to God Love is the greatest to win souls. It is ok for the PERFECT to go to church also they are welcome. Thank you Bishop John Buckley

So were back to the sex topic again,dont the religious ever give it a rest,you would swear thats the only thing that they think about and they were the only experts on the subject,and yet we are expected to believe they are celibate,but hey thats blind faith for you.

Jesus ate with sinners, it is about time the Church followed in his footsteps.

'church will not reject people who use contraception, have pre-marital sex'. Whew!, I had thought I was screwed. I don't consider myself to be an outstanding catholic, but these guys only make themselves look foolish when they come out with this kind of stuff.

Bishop Buckley should be sweeping out the Church not running it. Now Church teachings are mere suggestions??.....contraception, no prob. Hey abortion, OK come to mass. Homosexual relationship, don't worry about. WHAT? 1 Cor 27:26-30, [26] For as often as you shall eat this bread, and drink the chalice, you shall shew the death of the Lord, until he come. [27] Therefore whosoever shall eat this bread, or drink the chalice of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and of the blood of the Lord. [28] But let a man prove himself: and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of the chalice. [29] For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh judgment to himself, not discerning the body of the Lord. [30] Therefore are there many infirm and weak among you, and many sleep. If this bishop is simply reaching out to people to come back to the Church he needs to make his intentions much clearer.

Hey you guys, we know we sound like totally harsh and stuff, but these are all ideals that we must try to live up to. If you do not meet all these ideals, it does not mean that you cannot take your place at the table the Lord...that ONLY applies to the gays, obviously! They are so totally out of luck with this Church.

Some mellowing from the church ????