Archbishop warns on ‘passive’ Christianity

AS THE Catholic Church launched a year-long campaign to increase vocations, Archbishop Diarmuid Martin warned ordinary Catholics being a Christian is “not a spectator sport”.

He called on bishops to remind their flocks that “you cannot simply be a passive Christian” and reminded them Catholicism “meant changing our way of living”.

Over the next 12 months, as part of the Year of Vocations, the Church will be reminding men “the world needs priests”.

“Today in a special way, we need priests, good priests. We need them not to fill the gaps caused by the death of older priests. We need priests who can become beacons in our society,” said Archbishop Martin.

Up to 160 priests died last year but only nine priests were ordained. With the number of priests falling, there is a much greater workload facing younger priests. As part of the Year of Vocations campaign, the Church called on the laity to help carry this load by deepening their sense of belonging to the Church by becoming more involved in parish work.

“Whatever we do, wherever we are — whether we are single or married, young or older, priest or religious, men or women — the Year of Vocation will have something to say to all of us in our following of Jesus Christ,” said Brenda Drumm, the campaign’s project manager.

Details of the campaign were launched before Archbishop Martin celebrated mass at the Pro-Cathedral to mark Vocations Sunday. The campaign will run until Vocations Sunday on May 3, 2009.

Meanwhile, at the North Cathedral in Cork city, Bishop of Cork and Ross, Dr John Buckley, re-emphasised the important role the priest plays at the heart of every community

He urged communities and parishes to support anyone considering joining the priesthood.

“What hospital or parish can be without a priest when a doctor says, what more can I do?” he asked.

An emergency on-call priest service has been proposed for the diocese, which could operate in 16 new subdivisions of the dioceses and see 68 existing parishes share resources.

As part of the Vocations campaign, different themes will be chosen each month with a national exam prayer due to be unveiled next month.

Meanwhile, Bishop of Limerick Donal Murray called on Limerick criminals to end the violence that has beset the city in recent weeks.

* www.yourvocation.ie