The idea of the ‘Listening
Process’ had its origins in the Assembly of Priests
that took place in 2002, where planning for the future
was identified as one of the key issues to be addressed
by the diocese. The group of priests and lay people
formed to explore this issue, under the leadership of the
Bishop, recommended that an
intensive consultation with the people of the diocese
should be conducted. Bishop Lee in his pastoral letter
“Our Parish and the Future”, announced that a
‘Listening Process’ would take place in the
diocese. The process is based on the belief that the
Spirit is given to the Church as the people of God and
that the Spirit is active in our dialogue with one
another. The Bishop stated that as part of the process,
“everybody will be invited to a meeting in their
area to share and discuss their hopes and concerns for
the future”. He reminded us that “mapping out a
plan for the future will require deep reflection and
courageous planning”.
A team was appointed to conduct the
‘Listening Process’.
The objectives of the team were: * To ensure that as wide a range as
possible of the views, experiences, hopes and
needs of all the people were shared and heard.
* To generate a sense of participation and responsibility
within parish
communities and the diocese.
* To lead to an agreed core vision statement and
directions for mission and
ministry in the future.
The team believed that a shared vision
and agreed directions would help to unify and give energy
and strength to the People of God in the knowledge that
the diocese as a whole and each parish, according to its
local situation, was working out of the same core vision.
The process was conducted at twelve
centres throughout the diocese. People from neighbouring
parishes assembled at each centre and were asked to sit
at random tables in groups of eight to ten. Experienced
facilitators and recorders were recruited from across the
diocese, people who had the necessary listening,
facilitation and recording skills to ensure that those
seated at the same table would feel comfortable in
sharing their views. Four questions were posed, questions
which were chosen to glean maximum information and
participation.
The questions were as follows:
Why did you come here?
What is your ideal image of Church?
What will help to realise this ideal Church?
What will hinder it?
A special night was conducted for youth
of the diocese. Religious also were invited to share
their views and concerns and the Priests’ Conference
in April centred on the ‘Listening Process’. A
number of ‘focus’ groups were also invited to
dialogue with the listening team.
As a result of the ‘Listening
Process’, large amounts of hand written material had
to be typed initially and thereafter, a standard
procedure for analysing textual material was undertaken.
This method, known as qualitative content analysis, has,
as an essential feature, the use of categorisation of the
data. The data was categorised into seven major themes,
chosen because of the frequency of their recurrence
throughout the process. In using such a method the voices
of the actual participants have been faithfully heard and
transcripts of all responses have been kept. All this
adds to the validity of the final report.
To further ensure the validity of the
interpretation, we employed the methodology of
“investigator triangulation”. This method
involved different members of the listening team reading
and re-reading the recorded material to detect or
minimise any recurring biases which may affect the
validity of the final report. Thus, we critiqued each
other’s account of the data by constant reference to
the original sources and contexts. The real test of the
validity of the report can only be ascertained by those
who participated in the process.
The themes that emerged from data
analysis were Cultural Context, Education and Training,
Youth, Ministry, Liturgy, Spirituality and Prayer,
Community. These themes will be discussed in the report.
A report on the dialogue with ‘focus’ groups
will follow. A summary of the responses to the first
question “Why did you come?” will be presented
as an overture to the report. These responses give a good
indication of the dispositions of those attending.
Doctrinal questions which emerged in the conversations
will be discussed in a separate section. The report will
then be summarised and to conclude, directions for the
future,which emerged from the process, will be outlined.
The
Reasons People came to the ‘Listening Process’
People came to the ‘Listening Process’
because they were concerned. They were concerned for the
future of the Church in the diocese.They articulated very
clearly the reasons for this concern.
They felt that the future is precarious because of the
shortage of priests. They would like this issue addressed
as a matter of urgency as it has serious implications for
the future of parishes. They expressed fear that churches
would close and wondered “how the parish will work
in the future?”
They were concerned because of the harm caused by the
scandals. As well, there was anger at the way the
scandals were handled by Church leaders.
Leadership in the Church is a cause of concern for
many. The hierarchical structures are seen to be at odds
with the contemporary mind-set and seen by many as a
hindrance to pastoral development.The failure of
leadership to respond adequately to change is
frustrating.
Concern was expressed at the very sharp decline in
numbers at attending Masses throughout the diocese.
People are dissatisfied by many aspects of today’s
culture, particularly consumerism and materialism.
Concern was expressed that values are being eroded, and
the spiritual dimension of life is being ignored.
However, the over-riding concern was for the young.
The alienation of youth from the institutional Church and
their absence from liturgical celebrations is very
distressing for many. The anxiety was heightened by the
fact that no clear solutions to the problem are emerging
and parents are floundering. People are concerned because
they love the Church. Their Christian faith is central to
their lives. They want to hand on a living Church and
their Christian values to the next generation. “We
have got a lot from the Church and would like to make
sure the Church continues to be an influence in our lives
and in the lives of our young people”.
People came because they wondered at what may happen
in the future and they wanted to share their views and
contribute to the formation of a plan to guide us
forward. They were deeply appreciative of the fact that
they were consulted and were afforded an opportunity to
be part of the planning process. Many expressed a
willingness to be supportive of their local Church and to
contribute in whatever way they could to implementing any
future plan. “I want to help in any way to keep the
Church alive”. “I feel I have to help in
difficult times”. “I want to lend support to a
changing declining Church”. Some came out of a sense
of duty. There was a huge expectation that there would be
a response and a follow-up to the ‘Listening
Process’. There was a real fear that failure to
follow up on the process would lead to disillusionment,
disappointment and apathy.
Cultural Context
People expressed dissatisfaction with many aspects of
today’s culture.The success of our economy has
brought many benefits but has contributed to a
materialistic ethos in society, an ethos that seriously
threatens our spiritual welfare. “Religion seems to
be taking second place to commercial and material
influences”. “Money controls our lives”.
Many felt pressurised and stressed; they regretted that
there was no time for the important things in life such
as prayer, family life and playing one’s role in the
local community. Materialism results in an unhealthy and
selfish individualism. The rapid change which is
characteristic of society at present, leads to confusion
regarding moral norms and values.
Many groups expressed real concern over the huge
influence of television. “Television is the new
tabernacle”. Television controls family life and
erodes our value-system. “People are no longer
shocked by immorality. It is presented as the norm
today”.
People stated that Church and Christian values were
more important than ever in this cultural context.
Education and
Training
CATECHESIS
People really struggled to understand why their
children are so disaffected from the Church. There is a
realisation that modern culture, in many ways,
counteracts the formation in faith received in schools.
Again and again, there is criticism of the materialistic
ethos as one of the off-shoots of a successful economy,
an ethos that seriously threatens our spiritual welfare
Some parents recognise that in this culture, we cannot be
over-reliant on our schools.
People appreciate the key role played by the school in
the whole area of catechesis and are grateful for the
effort made by teachers.There is an awareness of the
struggle teachers face, particularly in secondary
schools. It is very difficult for the Catholic schools
when the values promoted there are often undermined in
the wider society.
But there was also a realisation that some
“parents are leaving everything to the schools”
and push all responsibility onto the teachers. Parents
were criticised for not taking a more active role in the
faith formation of their children by encouraging prayer
in the home and discussing issues of faith with them.
“Children are not getting religion at home”;
“parents are no longer bringing their children to
Mass”. There was consistent criticism of parents who
do not practice and yet present their children for First
Communion and Confirmation. “If there is nobody
practising in the home, is there any point in
Confirmation?”… “Occasions such as First
Communion and Confirmation should focus primarily on the
religious significance of the sacrament”…
“…money is the main emphasis of the sacrament
(of Confirmation)”. Teachers themselves said that
they are unhappy with the present practice of sacramental
preparation and celebration. They are feeling dejected
because the effort they put into sacramental preparation
yields no tangible results in terms of regular Mass
attendance. They think “(they) have fallen into the
trap of making First Holy Communion and Confirmation more
interesting and hence a show”.
The responsibility of the wider faith community or
parish is recognised. One concrete suggestion to
facilitate this was the possible introduction of
‘Sunday school’. It was also pointed out that
it is difficult to bring young children to Mass because
of the lack of facilities in our churches. There was a
strong recommendation that children should not be
confirmed before transition year in secondary school,
when they would be in a position to freely choose to
commit to their faith.
ADULT
EDUCATION: FORMATION IN THE FAITH; TRAINING FOR MINISTRY
Many adults acknowledge that they need on-going
formation in the faith themselves. “ There is
nothing to help us understand our faith, to grow in
maturity of faith”… “(There is) no
‘in-service’ for people as they move on in
life”.“We need to be more educated to answer
the (faith) questions of our children”. There was a
plea to provide opportunities for on-going adult
education and formation in faith and doctrine. The fact
that there were repeated calls for a stronger emphasis on
the ten commandments in preaching and catechetical
programmes is indicative of the confusion concerning
moral principles experienced by many. There is an urgent
need to provide high-quality training and formation for
ministries (such as membership of parish pastoral
councils).
Youth
This was by far the dominant theme
emerging from the ‘Listening Process’. Nearly
all (over 99% of reports from the tables) expressed
serious concern about the absence of youth from
liturgical services and about the alienation of youth
from the institutional Church. (There was no clear
definition of the age bracket people were referring to,
but occasional references indicated that people had older
teenagers and young adults in mind. Young parents were
also mentioned.)
People are concerned
because:
* Youth are of vital importance to the future of the
Church: “ The Church of the future will be dependant
on the youth of today”.
* The Church of today is impoverished
because of the absence of youth: “The participation
of youth would contribute to a more interesting and
lively Church”.
* Young people are perceived as
spiritually impoverished by being cut-off from the Church
and may not have the spiritual resources to cope with
difficulties.
The vast majority of respondents were
very well disposed towards youth. They expressed great
sympathy for them because of the pressures to which they
are subjected in today’s culture pressures, such as
drugs, alcohol, peer pressure, selfharm. “The young
are spiritual and prayerful but do not see themselves as
belonging to the institutional Church.” “Belief
is still there”. “Just because they do not
attend church does not mean they are not spiritual”.
Many thought that the scandals impacted very negatively
on young people and that it was much more difficult for
them to interact with priests today.
The following
recommendations were voiced repeatedly :
* We need to listen to youth. “We are ignoring the
missing generation at present”.We need to create
fora at parish level to enable this listening to happen.
* We need to encourage them to become
involved by inviting them to exercise a ministry at Mass
or to join a folk choir, or by giving them responsibility
for preparation of some liturgies.
* We need to give them a voice in
pastoral development in parishes through representation
on pastoral councils or through a separate youth council.
At the special ‘Listening’ evening for
youth, the teenagers present spoke about issues that are
a source of anxiety and concern for them, issues such as
“exams and getting the points needed”,
“pressure to get part-time jobs”,
“bullying”,“worry about future
careers”. The responses also indicated that
questions of faith and spirituality were not ignored by
young people. However, the youth were critical of
liturgical celebrations in their parishes. “Mass is
dull, we need more singing and activity”. But some
emphasised that they “were not just looking for
entertainment”. Many of those present felt that
there was little opportunity for them to become involved
in parishes. As well as that, they would welcome
opportunities to meet socially outside of Mass.
Ministry
Almost every table expressed great concern for the
future of the local Church. People showed a clear
awareness of the shortage of priests, of the fall off in
vocations, and an obvious consciousness that this had
serious implications for everybody, priests and people.
There was concern at the age profile of priests.
THE ROLE OF THE
PRIEST
This expression of alarm at the shortage of priests is
indicative of how highly people respect and value the
role of the priest in the faith community. Indeed, this
was stated explicitly and repeated many times in recorded
statements. People expressed deep appreciation of the
great work that priests do in serving and building up the
Christian community. People want their priests to get to
know them and to interact with them.
There was much awareness of the recent scandals and of
their negative impact. There was serious criticism of the
way in which these scandals were dealt with. There were
also many expressions of concern and support for the vast
majority of priests who have been unjustly placed under a
cloud of criticism and suspicion. There was great
sympathy for the unfair way in which all were targeted by
the media when the scandals broke.
The huge increase in workload experienced by priests,
occasioned by the shortages, elicited very sympathetic
responses. There was an urgent plea that priests should
not be expected to have responsibility for all
administrative duties in parishes. These duties could be
delegated to lay people who would be paid if necessary.
Priests themselves said that they feared people’s
demands and wondered if these demands would be realistic
or if “they would be run off their feet trying to
provide services for people”.
There is a strong desire that leadership would be
exercised in a non-authoritarian fashion. People said
that they welcome a close working relationship between
priest and people. But it was stated clearly and
unequivocally that an authoritarian style leadership that
is controlling and dismissive of people’s views is
not acceptable today. There was criticism of priests who
“shout and ignore the lay person’s point of
view”. They do not want “a dictatorial Church
with everything coming down from the hierarchy”.
Priests who are not open to change or who resist change
necessitated by today’s culture were also
criticised. Priests are expected to be approachable and
not to be threatened by an empowered laity. People are
very upset by priests, who, when newly appointed to
parishes, undermined.
LAITY
There was a strong call for a leadership style that
would foster collaboration between priests and lay
people. There was a clear recognition that the ministry
of the priest can only be understood in the wider context
of ministry to which all the baptised are called. The
Church is the People of God working in a spirit of
collaboration and partnership.There was a real sense of
the equality of all - priest, religious and laity - in
the Church. “We are the Church, priests and people
– because of our baptism we have a mission”. In
light of that, there was a universal call for lay
participation in parish life. “Motivate laity to
participate”; “laity should be
encouraged”; “laity should play a greater
role”. People recognised that today more than ever,
it is crucial to involve laity, to the fullest possible
extent, at all levels of ecclesial life. Many stated that
they would like to be invited to contribute to their
parish. The parish pastoral council was identified as a
key structure to enable a sharing of pastoral
responsibility. “The huge increase in workload
experienced by priests, occasioned by the shortages,
elicited very sympathetic responses.”
Ministries that could be exercised by lay people were
identified, ministries which are needed to respond to
todays pastoral demands . Among those listed were
ministry to the elderly and the sick, bereavement support
and counselling, ministry of visitation, Liturgy
co-ordination and planning, membership of pastoral
councils, leadership in prayer (e.g. prayer at funeral
homes and in churches). The full potential of ministers
of the eucharist should be encouraged, particularly in
relation to the sick and housebound. Membership of
pastoral councils was emphasised, as lay representatives
should be involved in all processes of decisionmaking on
behalf of the community. There was some comment on the
good work done by baptismal preparation teams. Those with
charisms for these ministries should be encouraged and
given training and formation. Some religious, who have a
high level of training and pastoral experience on the
missions, felt that they were not welcome when they
presented themselves for ministry in parishes.
WOMEN
Many felt frustrated and angry that women are excluded
from positions of influence in the Church, and that the
Christian community is impoverished because for
centuries, the female charisms have been minimised or
excluded. There was a strong exhortation to do all that
is possible to redress this imbalance and to ensure that
women are involved in decision – making at all
levels in parish and diocese. There should be a gender
balance on all pastoral councils and finance committees.
In particular, there was a call to clarify the role of
the parish sister and put in place a proper salary
structure. The possibility that a person not in religious
life would exercise a similar type ministry (e.g.
pastoral assistant), in the future, adds urgency to this
task. *
DEACONS
Not alone did people express an awareness of the
diaconate, but there was recognition of the pastoral
potential of this order, and a strong plea for the
immediate restoration of this ancient ministry. People
could not understand why it has not been introduced
already.
PRIESTS FROM ABROAD
One suggested solution regarding the shortage of
priests was to invite priests from the developing
countries and Eastern Europe to minister in the diocese.
There is a perception that vocations are plentiful in
these areas.
LITURGY
The frequency of references to the Liturgy (almost
100% of tables) is a strong indicator of how important
the Liturgy is to the faith lives of those who attended.
It indicated a profound awareness of the Liturgy as the
summit to which the activity of the Church is directed
and the source from which it gets its strength.
However, there was significant dissatisfaction with
the experience of Liturgy in our parishes. There was a
strong desire that Liturgy would connect with the lives
of people and a feeling that it fails to do so. In
particular, the fact that youth considered the Mass as
irrelevant to their lives was very worrying for many
groups. There was a plea for Liturgies that are
meaningful and relevant and for Liturgies that are
participative and creative of community. “ There is
a need to focus more on the community element”.
There was appreciation of attempts to present Liturgy in
a creative and thoughtful way. To that end, there was a
definite acceptance of the need to reduce the number of
Masses in areas, particularly where congregations are
small, as a multiplicity of Masses was experienced as
fragmenting the community. The importance of creating an
atmosphere of welcome was stressed.
There were many recommendations as to how Liturgy
could be enhanced. The majority thought that music was
vitally important to the quality of Liturgy and that
every support should be given to choirs. Many thought
that folk groups and gospel choirs appealed to people
today, particularly to the young, and that every
encouragement should be given to such groups. Community
singing was thought to be the best way to facilitate
participation in the Liturgy, but great effort is needed
to promote this.
Other suggestions for more meaningful Liturgies
included the introduction of Family Masses,Youth Masses
and Children’s Masses and the involvement of youth
and adults in the preparation and celebration of the
Liturgy. There were many comments on the readings at
Mass, particularly the readings from the Old Testament.
People questioned their relevance as they find them
difficult to comprehend. Some felt that a dramatisation
of the readings would help occasionally. A special
Liturgy of the Word for children was recommended.
There were many references to homilies. People are not
satisfied with the quality of preaching. Reports
suggested that a greater effort could be made in
preparation and delivery of homilies. “ Talk about
something we can relate to”. “Speak on more up
to date issues”. On the positive side, the frequency
of references to homilies suggested that people really
appreciated well-prepared sermons that touch their lives.
They looked forward to homilies that are relevant and to
the point. One group observed that, “there is still
a huge proportion of the congregation who want to listen
to what the priest has to say”.
There were many calls for a renewed emphasis on
Confession and Reconciliation, at a personal and communal
level. The value of reconciliation services was
frequently mentioned. There was much support for the idea
of Liturgy planning groups in parishes. The importance of
training for these groups was emphasised.
SPIRITUALITY AND
PRAYER
A recurring theme of the meetings was the need and
desire for a deep spirituality in our lives. The sense
here was that faith had to be personally owned and lived.
Faith had to be experienced, above all, as a personal
relationship with God, with Jesus and the Holy Spirit, a
relationship which was significant and personally
sustaining. Evident also in the responses was the desire
that this faith should be shared and lived in group and
communal settings.
There was a strong sense that any plan for the future
should pay particular attention to this keenly felt
hunger for a life-giving Christian spirituality. The
elements of this spirituality could be old and new. There
were calls for a reinstatement of family prayer,
encouragement for personal private prayer, greater use of
the Prayer of the Church and more frequent celebration of
Benediction. The development of various types of prayer
groups (charismatic, parish cells, Lectio Divina and
Scripture-based prayer) was recommended. The format for
novenas and devotions should be updated.
There was strong support for prayer and contemplation
before the Blessed Sacrament.The need for training in
prayer and meditation was emphasised. People said they
valued opportunities for retreats. There were appeals
also for the development of prayer rituals that connect
with key life events and special occasions.
Overall, the need for a new emphasis on spirituality
as fundamental to the life of people, was very clear.
This also raised the need for resources – materials,
personnel and training – to assist in promoting
developments along these lines.
CHURCH AS COMMUNITY
People repeatedly stressed how urgent it is to create
a real community spirit in parishes and to build parishes
that are true communities. The competitiveness of
today’s society and the materialistic ethos promote
an individualism that often leaves people isolated and
disconnected. The need ‘for a sense of
belonging’ was mentioned many times. Community is
central to the Christian life. Liturgy expresses and
celebrates the communion of life shared with each another
and with the Lord. People understand how essential are
ministries such as leadership, care and service in
building community.
To foster a spirit of community, it is imperative to
have some facility where people can assemble. It was
recommended that parishes should have meeting rooms or
halls and that events should be organised occasionally
that would provide opportunities for people to meet.
“It is important that we have time to be with and to
know each other”. Some suggested that small
Christian communities should be initiated in the diocese.
For effective functioning of the community, people
were adamant that there needed to be an ethos of openness
and transparency, and a level of accountability in
leadership, i.e. priests and pastoral councils.
Communication is essential to promote this kind of ethos
and all decisions should be communicated clearly to
people. “(We need) more democracy, greater openness
and transparency about how decisions are made and money
spent”. “There needs to be good communication
between priest and people”. Consequently, a parish
newsletter is a vital medium in any parish. There was a
call for regular consultation at parish level and a
recommendation that a ‘listening style’ process
be conducted occasionally in parishes. Again it was
stressed that the role of leadership in the building of
community is crucial. An authoritarian style stifles
community development.
However, people are very concerned that the future of
their parishes is uncertain because of the shortage of
priests. Many fear that their local church may be closed.
There was a realisation that neighbouring parishes will
have to support each other and work together by sharing
resources in terms of personnel, ministry, training and
planning for the future. There was a call for some plan
to be developed to suggest ways forward.
The faith community should be a caring community.
There should be an outreach to those in need.
‘Inclusion’ was identified as one of the key
marks of the ecclesial community.
There were many appeals for an inclusive, welcoming
Church where the gifts of all people would be recognised
and encouraged. There was an exhortation to make every
effort to reach out to those who are no longer attending
church. In particular, the separated and divorced should
be encouraged to continue to come to church. Those who
are re-married should be made welcome. The same spirit of
welcome should be afforded to single parents. There were
occasional references to the need for an ecumenical
outreach to other Churches and for dialogue with other
faiths.
Focus Groups
The Church is a community in the world in the service
of the Kingdom. It can never be a narrow exclusive body,
cut-off from society. Dialogue with a number of
‘focus’ groups helped to identify dimensions of
the service to which, in the immediate future, the local
Church is called . The focus groups that participated in
the ‘Listening Process’ were: asylum seekers
and refugees, members of the rural community,
representatives of environmental groups, members of
county and city community fora, local media personnel,
young married couples. A group of teachers was also
present; the views of this group are included in the
section under “Education and Training”. Some of
the issues that emerged in the dialogue with these focus
groups are discussed below.
ASYLUM SEEKERS
AND REFUGEES
Asylum Seekers reported that current government policy
is discriminatory and oppressive and has serious
implications for their emotional and psychological
health. Because they are not allowed to work or to enrol
in educational or training programmes, boredom is a
serious problem and some get very depressed. They want to
contribute and to participate in their host community.
They experience over-crowding and lack of privacy in the
accommodation provided for them. “It is worse than
being in prison”. They made a very strong plea for
the Church to advocate a change in government policy on
their behalf. They would like to be invited to
participate in the local parish. Some are highly skilled
and, with the different perspectives they bring, would
enrich the local community. They really want to belong.
They would welcome pastoral initiatives which would
address some of their needs.
RURAL COMMUNITY
Representatives of the rural community alerted us to a
possible impending crisis in agriculture. Farmers will be
forced to sell off farms that have been worked by their
families for generations.Their children have no interest
in farming and do not wish to inherit the land as the
average family farm today is economically nonviable.
People felt that “farming will not be for the
agricultural community but for the rich” and that
“the large co-ops have removed the farmer from the
marketing process”.
The pain of having to dispose of land owned by the
family for generations is causing great stress to
farmers. Many commented on the huge exodus of young
adults from rural communities.They thought that this will
seriously impact on the stability of rural parishes in
the future.
THE ENVIRONMENT
Environmentalists reminded us that care of the earth
is a religious and moral issue. Creation is a central
theme in the Bible. The world was created by God who gave
us responsibility for it. “We have to make sure
progress is sustainable – to make sure there is a
world and future for the generations to come”.
“The Church needs to be progressive and active in
promoting care of the earth as a moral issue.”
“Our world is controlled by major institutions,
industrial, economic, etc., and the Church has the
opportunity to dialogue and input into the shaping of our
world”. People’s understanding of environmental
issues is “woefully inadequate”. Sermons could
be directed at educating and raising the awareness of
people concerning the ecological crisis we are facing.
COMMUNITY FORUM
The local Church was encouraged to contribute to
county and city development plans through dialogue with
Community Fora and Development Boards. There are issues
such as vandalism, alcohol and drug-abuse among young
people and lack of health-care facilities in rural areas
that are of concern to the faith community and the
community fora. In particular, the Church could support
efforts to overcome social exclusion and to challenge
policy changes in the ‘Community Employment’
programme. The cut-backs in this programme have impacted
negatively in many areas.
TRADE UNIONS
There was a suggestion that the Church as institution
could offer greater support to trade unions and that
dialogue between the two bodies should be initiated.
There is a perception that “while the Church could
not be categorised as antiunion, it is certainly not
pro-union…..the Church’s attitude is similar to
the attitude of employers to unions”. There are
issues such as globalisation, the dignity of the worker,
and family friendly work arrangements which are of
concern to both bodies.
MEDIA
There was a strong recommendation from local media
representatives that the Church should be more pro-active
in relation to the media. Members of this group felt that
the Church was under-utilising the potential of mass
media to communicate the Christian message. At present,
the smartest people making use of the local media are the
most conservative, even fundamentalist, religious groups.
The local media are definitely not anti-Church, even
though hard questions may be asked at times.
YOUNG MARRIED COUPLES
The couples present talked about how stressful married
life can be in today’s culture. High mortgages
impose serious financial pressures. Lack of
family-friendly work schedules often cause stress,
particularly when both partners are working.*
Doctrinal Questions
It was decided to report, in a separate section, on
doctrinal issues that were discussed in the various
gatherings. The issues of compulsory celibacy and the
ordination of women were raised frequently and the
teaching on artificial birth control was discussed by
young married couples.
There is widespread support for the abolition of
compulsory celibacy for priests. The vast majority of
responses felt that the introduction of optional celibacy
would help in solving the problem of the shortage of
priests; priesthood would be more attractive to people.
People also felt that the imposition of celibacy
contributes to an unnecessary burden of loneliness in the
life of the priest. Married priests would have a better
understanding of the reality of family life. Priests who
have married would be free to resume their priestly
duties in the parish. Some thought that the idea of
part-time priests should be explored.
The question of the ordination of women was raised
frequently. Most people thought that gender should not be
an obstacle to ordination and that the present policy of
excluding women from priesthood would need to be
re-examined. The arguments used to justify the ban on
women’s ordination are not convincing.
Young married couples questioned the Church’s
teaching on family planning.
Summary
There was a high level of awareness of the rapid
change in society. It is clear to people that this has a
major influence on the mission of the Church at this
time. People expect the Church to be in touch with the
‘joys and hopes, fears and anxieties’ of our
time.
It is essential that the Church as the bearer of the
good news of Jesus Christ, finds varied and suitable ways
to understand and hand on that good news; therefore
parishes as well as schools have important roles in
catechesis. It is important to develop closer links
between the two bodies. Programmes for on-going education
and formation in the faith need to be made available at
parish level.
The specific giftedness and vibrancy of youth can
enrich the Church in the present and contribute to the
building up of the faith community. However, there is an
urgent need for ministry to youth.
Though we live in a time of serious decline in the
number of priests and religious and in vocations to the
priesthood and the religious life, there is growing
awareness of the call to lay people to share their gifts
through serving and cooperating in the ministries of the
Church. The exercise of diverse ministries at the service
of the local Church and their co-ordination will need to
be supported by a collaborative style of leadership. It
is essential to have structures that will enable the
exercise of such leadership.
There is clearly a need for expanded programmes of
training and formation for those who are called to
ministry today.
People recognise the Liturgy as central to the life of
the Christian community and want to enhance liturgical
celebrations in parishes. Parish groups dedicated to the
ongoing work of planning and preparing the Liturgy are
needed.
Hunger for meaning and purpose call the faith
community to new ways of experiencing the spiritual
dimension of life.
The desire to belong in a community of faith is very
strong. The need for good communication, inclusion in
planning and openness in matters affecting parish
community are essential. Again it is clear that the
effective functioning of pastoral councils is vital. The
need for parishes to support one another will become more
evident in the near future because of the shortage of
priests.
The call for the Church to be actively involved in
areas of social concern such as exclusion and racism,
environmental protection and the future of rural
communities was articulated clearly. Institutions like
the trade union movement and community fora expressed a
desire to engage in on-going dialogue with the Church.
People’s expectations were raised by the
‘Listening Process’ and the importance of a
response was repeatedly stressed.
Directions
for Pastoral Development
The purpose of the ‘Listening
Process’, as stated in the introduction was: * To ensure that as wide a range as
possible of the views, experiences, hopes and
needs of all the people are shared and heard.
* To generate a sense of participation and
responsibility within parish
communities and the diocese.
* To lead to an agreed core vision statement and
directions for mission and
ministry in the future.
The views and concerns of over 3,000 people were
heard.
People indicated that they are willing to take
responsibility for ministry in their parishes and to
participate in pastoral development.
There were repeated calls from people and priests for
a diocesan pastoral plan. Some priests stated that
“We hope the way forward is the emergence of a
pastoral plan that reflects the aspirations of the
‘Listening Process.
While recognising the sense of urgency that people
expressed, the ‘Listening’ team feel it is
important that, throughout the parishes of the diocese,
people are invited to read and reflect on this report and
respond to it. These responses will contribute to the
development of an evolving vision and plan. The vision
and plan will come out of ongoing reflection and
conversation. We will learn together through these
processes.
At the same time, specific actions are being initiated
at diocesan level as an immediate response to the
process:
(i) Bishop Lee has appointed a Director of Pastoral
Development. His duties will include the co-ordination of
training and formation for ministries. Bishop Lee will
establish, as soon as possible, a team to support the
Director in aspects of the work of planning for and
co-ordinating pastoral development in the diocese.
(ii) A survey to ascertain the support needed by
parishes for the formation of pastoral councils will be
conducted in the immediate future by the Director of
Pastoral Development. A specially trained group to assist
with the formation, training and on-going support of
pastoral councils is to be established by the Director in
collaboration with the Bishop.
(iii) A team to resource and support the planning and
the preparation of parish Liturgies will be formed by
Bishop Lee.
(iv) Ministry to youth is being discussed as a matter
of urgency at diocesan level.
