Liberal Irish Church in Deep Troubles

Liberal Irish Church in Deep Troubles

Depression is “very common” among Irish priests according to a summary presented at a meeting of the Modernist Association of Catholic Priests in Athlone, Ireland. Concerns were also expressed about the number of priests committing suicide. The Irish Church has gone very liberal.


According to the Irish Times (November 8) Redemptorist Fr Gerry O’Connor said that there was “no tangible Church vision for the future” while priests “have enormous grief about disappearing faith communities.”

The relationship between bishops and priests had become “damaged and soured” with some priests feeling “bullied.” A major concern of priests was how the bishops treated those falsely accused of abuses.

Fr Tim Hazelwood, a victim of false accusations, said there was “no consistency” in how accused priests are treated: “Priests’ statutory rights are being denied”, he said. It was also “unjust that a priest is asked to stand down on the basis of an anonymous accusation.”

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