CARDINAL SAYS THAT FUTURE OF CHURCH IS LAY COMMUNITY

ARCHBISHOP BRADY ENJOYS HIS VISITS TO MASS IN DUNDALK November 2007

THE future of the Catholic church in Dundalk and the Armagh diocese lies firmly in the hands of the lay community, according to cardinal elect, Archbishop Seán Brady.

And there is more room than ever before for lay people in the church as well as deacons, who could take the pressure off the ever-decreasing numbers of ageing priests.

The cardinal-in-waiting makes the comments just days before heading to Rome to receive the red hat from Pope Benedict XVI.

Archbishop Brady, who is parish priest of Dundalk and Drogheda, speaks in warm terms about coming to Dundalk every Christmas morning for the annual mass in St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and says he is very much looking forward to visiting both towns when he returns from Rome.

The cardinal-elect, who will preside over one of the biggest shake-ups in the Armagh archdiocese since Vatican II, is insistent there are no concrete plans for re-organising the parishes and the diocese, and the initiative has to come from the laity.

Archbishop Brady’s consultation document about the massive changes needed in Armagh to meet the demands of the population, is currently being debated by nine committees around the archdiocese.

It is hoped that agreement can be reached about the way forward in the new year.

‘Radical plans are needed for radical situations and this (document) comes out of the realisation that we need to plan for the future,’ says Archbishop Brady.

The consultation document asks the lay community to consider a number of ways forward, including radicalisation (clustering parishes together), the overhaul of pastoral councils, a bigger role for women, caring for an ageing priest population, and deacons.

Archbishop Brady says consultation at local levels would be key to the plan’s success.

He concedes there are controversial aspects to the plan, including the training and deployment of deacons, which could radicalise how people inter-act with the church.

He says: ‘ There is some resistance to deacons, who would be men, married or single, who would be able to perform duties such as baptisms, wedding blessings, burials, and most importantly, help with the charity and community aspects of the church.

‘ These men would have 1,000 hours of theological training and wouldn’t be able to say Mass, hear confessions or anoint the sick.’

Despite a decline in the numbers of priests ( just six are studying in the diocese at present), the cardinal-elect doesn’t see a time when there won’t be enough priests.

He adds that while he welcomes priests from outside Ireland, including Fr. Sam Igbafe from Nigeria, who is in St. Patrick’s, ‘every effort must be made to have our own priests as well.’

Archbishop Brady is full of praise for Dundalk and Co. Louth.

He points out: ‘I love coming to Dundalk for Mass, especially on Christmas morning. I will continue that tradition after I’m made cardinal.

‘ There have been a lot of changes in Dundalk over the past few years, but faith continues to be very strong there.’