Who will Break the Bread?
Posted on 02. Jun, 2016, in Celibacy/Sexuality, Christian Values, Church Teachings, Community, Feminism/Women in the Church, Gospel Values, Sexuality, Vocation2 Comments
“Who will Break the Bread for us?” is the title of Fr Brendan Hoban’s book. Spokesperson of the Association of Catholic Priests, he looks at the future of priesthood in Ireland. He says that there simply won’t be enough priest in the near future and that bringing in priests from other countries won’t necessarily be a long term solution for Ireland as those priests are needed in their own country. He also speaks quite strongly about celibacy and how teachings around that needs to change. He explains to Miriam Gormally that the Church needs to be open to change unless they want to implode.
Do we need somebody to break bread FOR us,or WITH us?The former may be disappearing,there is no shortage of the latter…….
I enjoyed this interview, having great respect for Brendan Hoban. But Soline’s question arises for me too. It was good to have Brendan’s analysis tested a little by Pat, especially with regard to the situation in the Anglican Church. Brendan’s response was very telling: that it is due to a decline in religion worldwide. I wonder if this is connected with the individualism we can associate with post-modernism. Questions that remain for me are around our understanding of Eucharist. Could it be that there is a lack of appreciation of Eucharist in the everyday? Could it be that Soline’s comment about breaking bread “for us or with us” means that we have lost an understanding that we are called into priesthood through baptism and prefer to have a lack luster ritual performed for us, rather than be really engaged in a communion of love for each other?