May, the month of Mary In May “our petitions more readily find access to her compassionate heart.” Page 17.
Catholic san Francisco
Archbishop’s jubilee Mass Archbishop George Niederauer greets worshippers April 30 after entering St. Mary’s Cathedral to celebrate a Mass of thanksgiving for his 50 years as a priest – a career in which he has been much praised for his gifts as a pastor and as a friend. Pages 12-13.
Northern California’s Weekly Catholic Newspaper
(PHOTO BY JOSE LUIS AGUIRRE/CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO)
Censures highlight divisions in Catholic Ireland By Sarah MacDonald DUBLIN (CNS) – A series of censures has brought to the fore the divisions within the Irish church between those who seek a leaner and smaller church that adheres more strictly to the magisterium and those who seek space to discuss church issues. Up to 250 nuns, priests and laypeople held a silent protest outside the Vatican Embassy April 29 to protest the doctrinal congregation’s censure of five Irish priests over their stance on issues such as the ordination of women, the ban on artificial birth control, mandatory clerical celibacy and homosexuality. A spokesman for the Irish bishops’ conference declined to comment on the situation of the five priests, saying it was a matter for their congregations. However, Auxiliary Bishop Donal McKeown of Belfast, Northern Ireland, has recognized that a “real gulf” now exists within the Irish church. In an article submitted to the Sunday Independent
newspaper for publication April 29, he wrote: “On the one hand there are those who champion the assumed optimism, creativity and relational vision of the Second Vatican Council. These look askance as the smaller number of very active and more conservative young members who, for their part, blame that very lack of clarity for the current problems that afflict most churches. Truth and love risk being depicted as alternatives rather than as two complementary principles, dedicated to journey in an inseparable covenant, whatever the tensions.” Father Kevin Hegarty, former editor of the Irish bishops’ magazine, Intercom, wrote in March that the Vatican is increasingly seen “as a cold place for liberals.” Father Hegarty was removed as Intercom editor in 1994 after assigning articles on subjects like clerical sexual abuse, women priests and compulsory celibacy. In late April the story broke that Passionist Father Brian D’Arcy, one of Ireland’s best-known media priests and
a regular contributor to BBC Radio, was censured by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in March 2011. His writing must be cleared by his superiors before publication. Four other Irish priests have also been censured: Redemptorist Fathers Tony Flannery and Gerard Moloney, Marist Father Sean Fagan and Capuchin Father Owen O’Sullivan. Officials of We Are Church Ireland, the lay group that organized the rally outside the Dublin home of the papal nuncio, Archbishop Charles Brown, said they were looking for a meeting with him to discuss the seriousness of the situation. Archbishop Brown worked at the doctrinal congregation for nearly 18 years before being named nuncio to Ireland earlier this year, and the group said it wanted to know if he played any role in the investigations of the five Irish priests. A letter handed in by the group and seen by Catholic News Service stated that their actions – which included gagging their IRELAND, page 19
Difference and dialogue 56-year timeline of Vatican relations with US sisters. Page 18.
INSIDE THIS WEEK’S EDITION On the Street . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 News in brief. . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Local news . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Scripture reflection . . . . . . . 16 Father Rolheiser . . . . . . . . . 20
Little charity’s global reach ~ Page 3 ~ May 4, 2012
Sudan, South Sudan veering toward war? ~ Page 10 ~
Enduring appeal of Catholic tradition ~ Page 14 ~
ONE DOLLAR
Books. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Service Directory . . . . . . . . 23
www.catholic-sf.org VOLUME 14
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