Thursday, March 01, 2012

Church must counter crisis of faith, says archbishop

THE CRISIS of faith in the Catholic Church needs responses that must “really shake up and wake up the church”, Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin said last Sunday.

He said the church was at a crossroads and would face one of its biggest challenges between now and the year 2020.

“The church in 2020 will be a very different one to the one we encounter today,” he said. 

“The church’s role in society will be different, but not irrelevant.”

Dr Martin said there was “a real crisis of faith” and that could only be addressed by real renewal in the faith. 

“But revolutions are not achieved by half-hearted or piecemeal responses,” he said.

“Our current system of faith formation, both for those attending school but also for adults, is not adequate. The enthusiasm for change in the way we transmit the faith is insufficient.”

He said the church must learn to focus on what is essential in its renewal.

The church’s contribution to society would come from a deeper understanding of who Jesus was and how he provided answers to the questions about life.

The archbishop was speaking as 46 people took part in a special ceremony in Dublin to join the Catholic Church. This ceremony, called the Rite of Election, takes place throughout the world every year on the first Sunday of Lent.

Some 40 people, called catechumens, were seeking recognition to be initiated into the Catholic Church by receiving Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist in their parishes at the Easter Vigil.

Another six people, called candidates, have already been baptised into other Christian churches but now wish to join the Catholic Church. 

They will also receive Confirmation and the Eucharist in their parish churches at the Easter Vigil.