The need for theological reform

John Menadue

In the mid-1980s when I was at Boston College, a Jesuit university, one of the lecturers commented that the Catholic Church hierarchy was fearful of a schism in the church. Too late, he remarked, it is already here, informally. He pointed out that the majority of students at that Catholic university no longer believed the traditional story of a heavenly deity who locked people out of heaven because of the first humans’ disobedience.

It is reported (Irish Catholic, 19 March 2026) that Bishop Alan McGuckian ‘thinks the door to female diaconate is shut and that his fellow Jesuit Pope Francis should have said so’.

We respectfully disagree.

Bishop Alan has spoken boldly. But has he listened to the ‘sense of faith’ of the overwhelming majority of Irish Catholics on this issue? To the latest authoritative papal magisterium arising out of the Synod on Synodality, to which he contributed by his participation?

The forbidden tree and a troubling picture of God

March 3, 2026

·

FLASHES

Tony Flannery

The first Sunday in Lent gave us the creation story from the Book of Genesis as our first reading at Mass.

Due to advances in knowledge, we now know that the real story of creation is much more ancient, complex, and continues to this day.

The story we heard at Mass is mythological, and, treated as such, it can open up for us some pathways into the mystery of creation and the creator.