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When words block the message

Barry Lysaght
Glenstal Abbey School, Murroe, Co. Limerick

In the Catholic Church’s increasingly troubled public history where it lurches from one scandal to the next, the recent controversy regarding the receiving of communion in a Church of Ireland service by Catholics can only be described as another dramatic chapter in the Church’s plagued biography.

Cardinal Desmond Connell’s condemnatory response to the ‘clearness of conscience’ welcome issued by a minister of the Church of Ireland seems to have only succeeded in alienating even more of his flock and in further sullying the public image of the Church. This event, which only served in stealing the thunder of Connell’s elevation to Cardinal some time after, betrayed a worrying lack of tact and diplomacy so often at the root of the Church’s problems.

The current difficulty seems to be that the Church is letting words get in the way of the message. The religious philosopher Kierkegaard once said, "the surest proof that Jesus was divine was the duffers he chose to communicate the message", in other words, Jesus shines by contrast. The sheep are as lost as the shepherds in a bewildered, religious, no-man’s land. In an era when a clear message is needed more than ever, the leaders of the Church, though no doubt well meaning, seem to have their priorities seriously muddled - digging their heels in over trivial matters like inter-church communion does them no favours.

In subsequent letters issued to national newspapers by members of the congregation, the overriding reaction was one of anger, hurt and confusion. Connell’s elevation to Cardinal the following week seemed particularly confusing, as if he was being rewarded for causing such a degree of hurt to people of both religions. The most ironic, if even hypocritical thing of all was his subsequent reiteration that he would continue to strive to forge unity among the Christian churches - this, just as it seemed he had put another unnecessary barrier between the Church of Ireland and Catholic churches.

However, it is becoming increasingly apparent that the flock must now find its own feet and see the fundamental message of Christianity for themselves. The core message of all Christianity is love, because God is Love, and to follow God is to love one another. The church is led by people - human people - who are as prone to sin as we all are. The more apologies the Catholic Church makes the better. Understandably from the church's point of view, to stick to one's guns is to maintain that one has the right answer, and to admit defeat may be viewed as a fresh corpse for the media vultures to tear up - a weakening of an already weakened position. However, uncompromising rigidity is getting them nowhere. 'To err is human, to forgive divine' Apologies and attempts at reconciliation will bring out the best in the congregation, and perhaps then it can be seen that we are all prodigal sons - leaders and followers alike - that need to keep coming back to the message of God.

As a Catholic, I fail to see a veritably positive connection between Cardinal Connell's almost disparaging comments about Catholics receiving communion in a fellow Christian church, and Jesus' message of love, harmony and tolerance. Surely since Catholics believe that Jesus can only be present in the bread and wine through a Catholic consecration and no other way, what is the problem with accepting communion in a Church of Ireland service, seeing as, to Catholics, transubstantiation has not occurred and therefore we are only consuming bread and wine, not the body and blood of Christ? The 'clearness of conscience' welcome by the Church of Ireland seems reasonable and did not warrant the tone of response given by Cardinal Connell.

If anyone has come off the better from this regrettable episode, perhaps it is the congregation. It was heartening to see such a display of moral steadfastness in the face of a mistaken leader, and not the blind sheepishness that was so much a characteristic of Catholic Ireland forty years ago. Any acts of unity between churches can only be encouraged, and to see the people taking the lead for once showed an ethical maturity I had hoped, but hadn’t really thought, was there.

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