But for anyone observing attendances at Catholic Church events in recent times, both in terms of numbers and age, there might have been an expectation of an even greater decline. The Catholic Church in Ireland in the 19th and first half of the 20th centuries seemed to be a very solid edifice, built to endure. In a sense it was some effort at the type of Synodal Church that Pope Francis is now promoting. A future for the Catholic ChurchWhere are we now in the Irish Catholic Church? bright wings.”* Tony Flannery is a Redemptorist priest and the founder of the Irish Association of Catholic Priests

Source: Irish Examiner June 09, 2023 22:07 UTC