Letters to the Editor: We should at least consider the notion of married clergy
Bishop of Kerry Ray Browne addressed the shortage of priests in his pastoral letter. Picture: Diocese of Kerry
This weekend in the Diocese of Kerry, we heard our bishop’s vision for the future of our diocese. It led me to some personal reflections.
In my time as principal of two English Catholic secondary schools, I enjoyed the good fortune of having married priests on the staff as teachers. These priest teachers helped out in local parishes at weekends.
In my last school in rural Essex, England, there were several married priests, mostly former Anglican clergy, in charge of local Catholic parishes. Nobody found that the least bit odd.
On a family visit to our former London parish over Christmas, I met a married friend from Iraq, who served as one of the many parish volunteer catechists with special responsibility for preparing those many adults seeking seeking to join the Church.
During a recent visit to that parish by a Chaldean Archbishop he was, to his surprise, invited to become a priest. He declined the invite.
Here in Kerry, about a year ago, I attended the local synodal meeting in our very rural pastoral area. In our discussion group and in other gatherings that evening, many of those present expressed the opinion that having a married clergy was far preferable to having no priests.
Nowhere was this option mentioned in our bishop’s pastoral letter ‘Moving Forward in Hope’, which one fellow parishioner remarked could more aptly have been called ‘Declining in Despair’.
Failure to protect politicians is a serious threat to democracy (Holly Cairns forced to close Bandon constituency office over security concerns — Irish Examiner, January 29).
It is the duty of the Government to provide this protection. Up to the 1930s the Free State Army and gardaí provided this protection.
Perhaps the time has returned where this protection is necessary.
Regarding Sean O’Riordan’s article, (‘Cork council to crack down on those who can’t prove how they are disposing of waste’ — Irish Examiner, January 29), I bring my rubbish to the recycle centre where I pay cash and they do not issue receipts.
It should be acceptable for people to dispose of their own rubbish at a recycle centre and paying by cash should be an option as there are often obstacles with online payments such as risking data privacy, finances through paying by credit card and network issues from time to time.
Why is it assumed that everyone would pay a private contractor?
Seeing Bambie Thug being selected as the singer to represent Ireland in this year's Eurovision reminded me of the day all of 30 years ago when I worked in CIÉ and my newly arrived assistant, dressed like a goth, announced her arrival to me with the unforgettable words: “I’m a Wiccan. Do you have a problem with that?”
“No,” I replied. “I don’t care what you are, as long as you’re good at your job.”
I never did find out about her prowess as a priestess or a witch, but she didn’t disappoint me with her ability to do the task she was hired for.
Using a relic of a piece of bone from the head of St Brigid of Kildare to promote a Catholic cult in her honour has little to do with real religion and more to do with commercialisation and exploitation (Irish Examiner, January 29).
Instead of placing it in a church niche, it should be reinterred in her desecrated grave.
In her lifetime, Brigid was elected abbess of her foundation in Kildare, a status equivalent of a bishop, and achieved both national and international acclaim.
Rather than being idolised and remembered by a piece of a bone, Brigid’s memory should be honoured in the contemporary Church as an exemplar for modern Catholic women who aspire to follow her in their quest to regain their rightful place of equality in the Catholic Church as she did.
The people questioning the sense of pursuing wind turbine projects are completely right, on multiple fronts. Destruction of rural landscapes, heritage, and property values on the one hand; deaths of birds and bats on another; sound and visual pollution; and health repercussions for animals and humans.
In particular, however, it should be pointed out that the actual energy benefits are highly questionable. Wind power is intermittent and so you will always need standby power on demand to fill the gap when there is no wind or too much.
An electricity grid has to balance production and consumption or it collapses: Homes, hospitals, schools, and businesses require it. So the consumer pays twice — at least twice, I should say — through taxes and subsidies.
This rapidly dispatchable power has to be gas or coal. Even nuclear cannot be turned up or down rapidly. As a result, carbon emissions remain stubbornly high in countries which have embraced wind turbines.
Look at Germany: 40,000 wind turbines and their CO2 emissions have changed little in 20 years. And on top of that, they have committed over €500bn to their Energiewende, which is reflected in their electricity prices. In addition, wind turbine promoters habitually exaggerate their efficiency. Wind turbines only operate at about a quarter of their installed capacity.
In France, 9,000 wind turbines struggle to produce 6% of needs. Ireland would be crazy to listen to these snake oil salesmen.
