New Bishop of Achonry hailed as "the kind of personable, informal bishop who will be close to the people and lead them through a process of mutual listening, consultation and discernment."
Some parishes are in financial difficulty, especially those who have no savings to call on or who have been caught in the middle of a parish building programme - Fr Brendan Hoban.
“Priests in Ireland have more than most borne the heat of the day.”
Fr Ricky O’Connor was raised without any faith. This changed when he bought a Bible and began to read it in his late teens. He became a Catholic when he was 22 and began his seminary studies in Maynooth when he was 24.
“While affirming that celibacy is a gift for the Church, it is asked that for the most remote areas of the region, the possibility of priestly ordination of elders ... even those who already have stable and consolidated families, be studied in order to ensure the sacraments to accompany and sustain Christian life.”
Bishops need courage not to keep looking over their shoulders to Rome and to confront – respectfully but robustly – those who want to lead us back to the nineteenth century.
“This is not a time for wringing our hands in frustration or for sitting on our hands in despair. We need to talk. We need to work together. We need to stop deferring decisions that need to be made now.”
'Very engaged', 'occasionally engaged' and people 'not engaged in Church at all' are invited to be part of the dialogue, says Moderator, Fr Brendan Hoban.
ACP priest flies the flag for a Church which is "still capable of contributing to debate in the public forum, which is deeply committed to pastoral care and open to looking at its own life, as well as challenging its leadership.”
Some concerns that new programme will "adversely affect religious instruction and a faith-based school’s characteristic spirit.”
ACP's Fr Brendan Hoban warns, it is “now mathematically certain that Irish priests are an endangered species."
Vincent Browne accused of fronting “an unintelligible rant” in his ‘Challenging God‘ series.
