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Leading Irish priest criticizes Catholic hierarchy for 'burying its head in the sand'

ANTOINETTE KELLY,

IrishCentral.com Staff Writer

Published Sunday, November 6, 2011, 8:57 AM

Updated Sunday, November 6, 2011, 8:57 AM

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Leading priest says Church hierarchy needs to embrace change instead of ignoring the need for reform.

A top Irish priest has said the Catholic Church hierarchy has been burying its head in the sand over key issues.

If the current church regime continues, says Fr Joe McGuane, Mass attendance in Ireland will be reduced to just a few groups of old women.

Fr McGuane's comments came just as the relationship between the Church and Ireland hit a historic low after the country confirmed the forthcoming shutdown of its embassy in the Vatican.

The church's precarious economic situation could have some clerics "filling supermarket shelves at night or on the dole if they have bad backs," said the Youghal, Co Cork-based priest.

Fr McGuane, a chaplain at the St Raphael's Centre, said the Eucharistic Congress, to be held in Dublin next summer, was "designed as a distraction."

"Priests will have to drag themselves along to -- I suppose -- the Phoenix Park or Croke Park for a ridiculous jamboree, and dragoon as many parishioners as possible along with them," he told the Irish Independent.

He added that he took no pleasure in his negative assessment of the church's problems and said that the problems could be overcome "with honesty, courage, and transparency."

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He said that the Church needs to change its position on women priests.

"We are the only profession that excludes women; the only one who insists that it (the vocation) is for life.

"Unless we have married women, we will soon have tiny numbers.

"But then they will only be catering for a few, so I suppose there is no need to panic. Furthermore, there will be income only for a few.

"Is it any wonder we are in the mess we are in? Seventeen years after the late Brendan Smyth was convicted of child sexual abuse, not alone are we still at square one but we have actually gone backwards.

"This is because of our dearth of leadership," he said. "Our prelates are, by and large, incapable of initiative and innovation. They are almost entirely bereft of ideas. They have no idea what to do."

The Independent said that the Diocese of Cloyne have, so far, not responded to Fr McGuane's comments.

Fr McGuane insists that the problems facing the church started at the top.

"There have been proposals that all bishops appointed before Diarmuid Martin should resign. This would be useless while the present system of appointments is in place. Clones would replace them," he said.

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CorkIO1 | Nov 08, 2011, 02:57 PM EST

What makes Fr Joe McGuane "a top Irish priest"? I suppose because he is critical of the Catholic Church. I never heard of him before, but his comments on the Eucharistic Congress are very negative, not only does he want women priests, but they should be married women priests, according to the above. "(T)he relationship between the Church and Ireland hit a historic low after the country confirmed the forthcoming shutdown of its embassy in the Vatican" quoted from above is because our Minister for Foreign Affairs, Eamon Gilmore of the Labour party is a professed atheist, and is using our economic situation as a smokescreen for closing the Irish Embassy in the Vatican. Of course he is lying, but we have a lapdog for a Taoiseach (Prime Minister) who is pandering to the liberal media which we have in this country. The media are delighted with the scenario.

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LacarourSeanB | Nov 08, 2011, 11:09 AM EST

God knows that I do have the inclination but at this moment haven't the time to reply to some of the posts. I hope to so soon. These are important and complex issues and a clarity concerning them is, in my view, critical. At this juncture, a couple of things: Pope Paul VI in response to a multiplicity of things in the late 70's (a timeless posit nonetheless) admonished the Faithful to be aware of and guard against "The smoke of Satan" which had entered the church and sought (and seeks) to destroy it from within. PLEASE all of you, viewpoint notwithstanding, pray for all of these happenings. Pray that genuine Truth along with appropriate justice and outcomes come to fruition. We are in difficult territory with a rocky road ahead. Yet, the mere fact that the Church has withstood two millenia of anything and everything that would have toppled any other organization indicates to me at least that there is, in the midst of the muck, mire and storm, a hand that remains keeping it alive.

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warlocks | Nov 08, 2011, 02:20 AM EST

OH What a Visous web they weave when they wish to Deceive . I can bet the vatican will want recall or Dump Fr. Joe Mc Guane for speaking out. The vatican hates the truth. as any sane person can see how they have covered up criminal acts .

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eiriamach | Nov 07, 2011, 07:46 AM EST

Helmet365, in one of the fascinating ironies of history, the passion for reform that launched RCC's Second Vatican Council did not die out under the march of Roman conservatism, clericalism, and triumphalism. The Spirit took up residence with Christians who were ready for change in response to the "signs of the times." Today you can find Vatican II reform still working its way through the Anglican Communion, as it has been doing since 1968, when Archbishop Ramsey articulated what has come to be seen (and mocked by Roman Catholics) as the tumultuous and chaotic "breakdown of authority" at Canterbury: "The local, the limited, the particular is to be cherished by Christian people not for any nostalgic attachment to it for its own sake, but always for the real thing which it represents and conveys, the thing which is catholic, essential, lasting. So our love for Canterbury melts into our love for Christ whose shrine Canterbury is; our love for what is Anglican is a little piece of our love for one Holy, Catholic, Apostolic Church; the love of any of us for our own heritage in country, culture, religious experience or theological insight, all subserves the supreme thing -- the reality of God who draws men and women and children into union with himself in the fellowship of his Son"-- Lambeth opening sermon, July 25, 1968. And so it continues fitfully and piecemeal in struggle with powerful opposition, but it continues with the persistence of the Spirit, in nearly every corner of the globe except Rome.

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eiriamach | Nov 07, 2011, 07:12 AM EST

Helmet365, what you suggest RCC needs to do RCC did in the 1960s. But undermining of that work began while Vatican Council II was still at work, and resistance to its reforms is at a dead heat today, making its last stand against governmental pressures such as Enda Kenny's. A conservative blogger translated some Vatican documents from Italian to clarify conservative attempts to roll back the reforms of Vatican II (which, if carried out, would have prevented the worst scenarios of the sexual abuse scandal). You can read more about it at catholicculture[dot]com: "Finally, about ten years later, in an allocution (also in Italian) to the secret consistory of cardinals on May 24, 1976, Pope Paul VI specifically addressed the distortions and disobedience of Archbishops Lefebvre and his followers [SSPX] with respect to the Second Vatican Council: "There are those who, under the pretext of a greater fidelity to the Church and the Magisterium, systematically refuse the teaching of the Council itself, its application and the reforms that stem from it, its gradual application by the Apostolic See and the Episcopal Conferences, under Our authority, willed by Christ." He even exclaimed in utter frustration: "It is even affirmed that the Second Vatican Council is not binding; that the faith would be in danger also because of the post-conciliar reforms and guidelines, which there is a duty to disobey to preserve certain traditions. What traditions? Does it belong to this group, and not the Pope, not the Episcopal College, not an Ecumenical Council, to establish which of the countless traditions must be regarded as the norm of faith!" Many have been at work bolting the window that John XXIII tried to open.

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helmet365 | Nov 07, 2011, 04:15 AM EST

Women priests,celibacy changes for the priesthood will not make a bit of difference to church attentances.Changes must be made to church teaching to come into modern times and be truthful to have any chance of improuving numbers. 2000 y/o beliefs are laughed at,for good reason as a lot is just plain nonsence. Miracles virgin birth,trinity,ascensions, appearances of Our Lady to people on earth, judgement, hell.All nonsence. There is still plenty left of christianty to have a great religion of the times and attract people back.

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warlocks | Nov 06, 2011, 07:19 PM EST

I HAVE ALREADY SPOKEN BUT YOU HAVE LITTLE OR NO GUTS TO PUBLISH IT ! AND THERE IS nothing Filthy or any Curse Words within It !

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warlocks | Nov 06, 2011, 07:15 PM EST

In Ref. to KATEMAC. Now what would you call back to Basics ????? A Cover up and Business as usual ? Turning a Blind Eye to Children being Abused by Pedophiles. & having the Vatican Hypocrites give lips service to it's Blind followers, by saying we must forgive and put trust in God ! ----that is a copout thats has gone on for Hundreds if not a thousand years. The Sins are not Gods The Sins are of Men who think they are above Gods Laws !! its not the Time to go Back to sticking One's Head in the sand. The Time is now for the People to demand the church to act responsable and practice what it preaches. not poppy cock excuses. I say hit them in the pocketbook maybe when the Money stops flowing into the Vaticans coffers they will do something !! Money always talks and B S. always walks even more so with the Vatican !!

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warlocks | Nov 06, 2011, 06:40 PM EST

We have to Face the truth . The time has come for a complete overhaul starting from the Pope on Down to the local priests and Governments .Pedophiles have no place in the Roman Catholic Church. there must be openeness nothing Hidden. If the Church is aginst this then the Days of the Roman Catholic Church are numbered. it has already lost trust and favor . it will dry up and turn to Dust as most of all the other Religions of past ages.making them no better.----Corruption from the Top begets corruption throughout Rotten to the Core !!

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Blackthorn62 | Nov 06, 2011, 04:18 PM EST

Women or not, this man sounds like we need them to increase the Church's population. What will they do? Reproduce?

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NormaMcGinty | Nov 06, 2011, 02:42 PM EST

I applaud the decision to rapture the contact of us true Christians with this den of lecherous Italian colony of moral lepers called the Vatican.

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Collette2 | Nov 06, 2011, 12:31 PM EST

There would be less " fathers little dividends" wearing daddy's slipped halo's for one thing, entitled to the full respect and love of two parents they're entitled to as equal children born in the image of God.

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patrickesq | Nov 06, 2011, 11:32 AM EST

Fr. McGuane is to be commended for his courage to speak frankly about the serious continuing decline of the professed universal church. Just like other autocracies the male hierarchy of the church will not willingly give up their absolutist power to set the rules. Too bad the promise of a more open, democratic, pastoral church never really materialized after Vatican II. The continuing competition for new members between the protestant and catholic church is unseemly. Whatever happened to the ecumenical church that we were to aspire to. We need more true Christians who strive to live the core message of Christ than denominational church goers. The catholic church badly needs to join the 21st century and give women, gays, non and other Christians, the full respect and love they are entitled to as equal children of god.

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jamieLM | Nov 06, 2011, 10:33 AM EST

You can't fix what you won't acknowledge. Denial, excuses, and deflection never fixed a thing. That's why the Catholic hierarchy is in the trouble it's in today. Those who abused children and those who aided them brought shame and disgrace upon many good priests and faithful parishoners and ruined young lives with their criminal acts. @katiemac, you can make all the excuses in the world, but it what it is and there's nothing "Christian" about it.

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