We still do not know what exactly, if anything untoward, was going on in the seminary in Maynooth. All sorts of rumours and insinuations were thrown around and published in the newspapers, and of course in social media. I suspect most people feel that this particular smoke had at least some fire at it’s base. Maybe so.
Clearly Diarmaid Martin thought so, and took his well publicised action of removing his students from the place and sending them to the Irish College in Rome. That in itself was a strange move, hard to explain or justify. He talked a great deal about the sort of training for priesthood that was needed in today’s world. Some of his ideas were excellent, and quite radical. But they seemed to me to be in direct contradiction to his decision to send his students to Rome.
And then, eventually, the trustees had a meeting. These are the four archbishops, the two Martin’s, Neary and O’Reilly. They discussed the situation and apparently were in considerable agreement that something needed to be done with Maynooth. And then they came up with these ‘dramatic’ new policies.
All students were to eat their evening meal together, and with the staff. And then they were all to gather again at nine o’clock at night for the recitation of the rosary. That was it!
Are these men serious? Do they expect this effort at very traditional regimentation, and equally traditional spirituality, to solve the problems they believe existed?
I’m afraid this yet again shows up the failure of Diarmaid Martin. (I don’t expect much from the other three!) In this situation, as in so many others, he talks a great talk, but his actions bear little or no relation to what he says.
There are two core issues that are at the heart of what is reputed to be happening in Maynooth, and is also showing itself in many other seminaries around the world. Those are the rule of compulsory celibacy, and the variety and complexity of sexual attraction present among us humans, and the very faulty church teaching on sexuality generally and LGBT in particular. Is it possible that these gentlemen believe that lining up the students for the rosary every evening is going to deal with these human situations.
I’m afraid not.
