THE ASSOCIATION of Catholic Priests will wait “at least until St Patrick’s Day” for a response from the Catholic bishops to its request to postpone introduction of a new translation of the Roman missal pending consultation with people and priests.
Fr Seán McDonagh of the association said yesterday this remained the group’s position despite an announcement by Catholic primate Cardinal Seán Brady last Monday that the missal would be introduced on the first Sunday of Advent, November 27th, as in the rest of the English-speaking world.
Last week, members of the association met the bishops’ Commission for Worship, Pastoral Renewal and Faith Development at Maynooth and expressed strong criticism of the new translation, which they said presented serious pastoral difficulties.
Commission members at the meeting included Bishop Séamus Freeman, the chairman; Bishop John McAreavey; Bishop Philip Boyce; Bishop Martin Drennan; and Auxiliary Bishop Donal McKeown.
Bishop Freeman assured the association he would share its concerns with the Episcopal Conference and would contact it when a decision was made on its request.
Fr Mc Donagh said yesterday the association awaited the bishops’ response. He said he assumed Cardinal Brady had yet to become involved in discussions on the matter with the other bishops and “would be very upset if, having been told [of the request], he made his announcement” last Monday.
He said were the bishops to proceed with the introduction of the missal in November the association would meet to decide what course of action to take.
In the current issue of the Tabletmagazine Fr McDonagh refers to a decision by some clergy in Australia and the US to boycott the new missal.
He said if Rome was willing to allow some members of the church to continue to use “the Pius V missal” because they couldn’t in conscience use the new one, he didn’t see why Rome could not accommodate those who say they cannot “in conscience use this new one for theological reasons”.
The association was formed last September. Among its objectives is to provide “a voice for Irish Catholic priests at a time when that voice is largely silent and needs to be expressed”.
