Christian Peregin
Divorce pushed Church to do more for marriage - Irish Jesuit
Divorce in Ireland strengthened the Church's resolve to make an increased effort to help marriages survive, according to Irish Provincial Jesuit John Dardis.
He stopped short of commenting on whether the introduction of divorce had a mostly positive or negative effect on society.
"I don't know if there's an answer to that," he said, in a wide-ranging joint interview with another provincial, Fr Francis Gouin, who works in the Maghreb region.
The two were in Malta with more than 40 other provincials for the annual Jesuit Conference for European Provincials which was held this week.
Fr Dardis explained that since 1995, when a referendum overturned the ban on divorce in his home country, the Church had to learn to work within a different legislative context but the message remained the same.
However, he felt he was not in a position to give advice to the Maltese Church on the issue.
Explaining the current situation in his country, Fr Dardis said the child abuse scandals in Ireland were a big blow to the Church and showed what could happen when power was given to certain individuals without accountability.
"The Church needs a strong renewal. Often, we preached a harsh judgmental God instead of one who is loving, compassionate and caring. The faith of many has been damaged and this is a difficult time for the Church, but we need to listen to the criticism and not get defensive," he said.
Fr Gouin, who works with small Christian minorities in Muslim countries, believes the Church's message should be one of reconciliation, human rights, justice and a search for peace.
Like his colleague, he believes the Church needs to change in many ways, but most radically he believes there should be no element of power. "The Church should be a servant to mankind," he said.
He said that while Europe had a bad perception of Muslims, these in turn had the wrong views on Christians, and the way forward was intercultural dialogue and respect.
Fr Gouin has a motto which he feels is very relevant to the Maltese context: "I saw him from far away and I thought he was a monster. But when I approached him I realised he was a man. Then I recognised him as my brother."
On the subject of immigration, Fr Dardis said it had brought a huge richness to Ireland but there had to be policies to help the process and one had to stop thinking in terms of being invaded.
He said immigration was a symptom of the fact that "the system" did not work and that the world was exploiting Africa, fuelling wars and imposing trade barriers.
"The only solution is to help Africa develop," Fr Gouin said.
Fr Dardis believes faith is about asking and addressing questions rather than having answers.
"Sometimes the Church has too many answers and it makes us too proud," he said.
He believes a Jesuit's role, even in Malta, is to be on the edges of a society where faith is absent and requires renewal.
Fr Goiun said many people were repelled from the Church because there was a lack of freedom, whereby the Church was simply seen as something that told people what to do and what not to do.
He said while he was proud of his Catholic faith, the role of religious people should be to dialogue rather than to force people to think like them.
"My best friends are atheists, but we all believe in the same things: justice, human rights and the dignity of man," he said.
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Gerry Cowie
Oct 28th 2009, 19:48
Still Mr William P Flynn wishes to "have his cake and eat it" by picking and choosing the bits he likes from what some churchmen say.
However it's heartwarming to find him embracing some of the Church's ideals! The Jesuits concerned have by no means turned their backs on the teachings of the Church which Mr Flynn so abhors!
Indeed as I have said - but he has ignored - I have not pronounced on divorce, having always argued for some kind of solution for those in, say, violent situations.
On the one hand we see Mr Flynn praising the Jesuits because they appear to be saying what he wants to hear, whilst he has no time for the Church at all!
In the next breath he puts a group of his pet hates about the Church into the arena, such as the erroneous idea that life does not begin at conception.
Mr Flynn, whatever his ancestry, will not succeed, from his perch in Australia, in changing Malta into the secular society which he would like.
Either one has a pro life agenda or the opposite!
For the customary nonsense, the usual apologist is right on cue - as predicted!
William P Flynn
Oct 26th 2009, 21:31
Power, money, politics, corruption and scandal have been rotting the catholic church for centuries. Any similarity that remains to its original intent and design is purely coincidental.
But its greatest folly, its slipperiest slope, has been to make enemies of the proven science of the telescope and the microscope, which, incredibly it continues to resist with the most outlandish mumbo jumbo (one cell is a human being; condoms allow the aids virus to go through; Homosexuality is a lifestyle choice; divorce causes family breakdown; stemcell research is evil etc).
These two Jesuits seem realistic enough to see this as the road to ruin and any hope lies in reformation.
It's unlikely the catholic church will ever reform itself and the rest of the world couldn't care less if it did or not.
More likely that it shall remain gritting its teeth; buzzing noisily like a fly caught in a jar.
I praise the common sense shown by these two priests.
For the customary nonsense, the usual apologists are right on cue - as predicted.
Anthony Roberts
Oct 26th 2009, 20:59
Priests are needed to be seen visiting their flock and ministering to them. Attending Mass is not enough especially when there are so many marriages breaking down. We need guidance and someone who is willing to listen to problems and to be there in time of need.
Gerry Cowieq
Oct 26th 2009, 20:28
Well, of course, Mr William P Flynn does like to "have his cake and eat it". He cannot resist attacking the Church for standing up for human life from conception to natural death. Yes, the Church makes pronouncements in favour of human life. What exactly, apart from quoting the most extreme examples available on the internet, does Mr Flynn wish to convey? If the Church is to change then it is up to the Church to change. It will not respond to the demands of secularists or humanists or any other such groups. Whether it be abortion or stem cell research or any other subject which Mr Flynn wishes to comment upon, he should be aware of the "abominable record" of secularists and humanists in the wilfull destruction of human life and fiddling with human embryos etc. If the Church's record is "abominable" because it has done its best to preserve human life, then I shudder to think how secularists view their own record! Freedom, as Mr Flynn well knows, comes with responsibility. Freedom is not an excuse to get what one wants at the expense of others. Malta will never cease to support life! Mr Flynn cannot change this!
Gerry Cowie
Oct 26th 2009, 20:18
I think it's important not to get carried away here, assuming that the priest in question seeks to change the major tenets of Church teaching. Nice to see Mr William P Flynn showing support for the Catholic Church. Or is it just the bits he likes to pick and choose in order to exploit what he might see as any potential weakness in the Church? After all he abhors all religious influence in the Maltese islands, yet here he is praising that influence! So which side of the fence is he on? The opening sentence of the writer's letter in fact states that the church made greater efforts to help marriages survive when divorce was brought in. In other words they did not directly support divorce, wishing to do their best to help couples survive. Again I'm so pleased Mr Flynn supports this stance! Well done, Sir! If one actually read the blogs I had added to on divorce, I have been consistent in suggesting that in cases for instance such as those of violence against spouse or children that there should be a remedy available. Basically the church does not allow divorce but it cannot prevent a civil separation.
J Farrugia
Oct 26th 2009, 15:56
@ Adrian Cardona - if you think the catholic church's teachings are too hard or harsh for your egositic self and lifestyle, then heed Christ's message to you: "Do you want to go away also?" No one is pushing you to be a catholic. Being a catholic is something you have to choose out of conviction and your faith. You were baptised in a catholic church but no one will pull your head in, to make you drink. Everyone according to his own lifestyle. But do not pretend the church of Christ to bend its rules to accomodate those whose life style is considered to be immoral or anti christian or worst scandalistic. God forbid if ever the Church should be dictated to or even blackmailed by such persons. The words you have written yourself against the church {that it is being arrogant, proud, harsh, intollerant, etc.) are all well written as an epitaph for your own judgement against the Catholic Church.
Adrian Cardona
Oct 26th 2009, 11:16
How right they are!
I don't count myself any more as a member of the Church precisely because of the arrogant, proud, harsh, intolerant and unyielding manner in which it tends to treat it's subjects. If it became a more inclusive religion I would certainly reconsider my position. But of course, such flexibility does not traditionally suit the Church, as history has so often shown.
William P Flynn
Oct 26th 2009, 11:15
At last! A couple of priests who speak my language. They should duck for cover; for our usual suspect will surely come in guns blazing asking them, "What's your agenda?" and call them "secularists".
To justice, human rights and the dignity of man" I would add freedom; especially freedom from fear, and openmindedness to scientific progress.
The church has had an abominable record in scientific progress and still insists on making pronouncements about abortion, condom use, contraception, and stemcell research.
James Grech
Oct 26th 2009, 09:27
The priests' statements really reflect the real Christians' role in society. "reconciliation, human rights, justice and a search for peace" and "The Church should be a servant to mankind". This is the religion that I would readily re-embrace.