There remains in Ireland "a strong sense of identity with the church, even by people who no longer practise with regularity, but who still consider themselves to be Catholic," according to Father Gerard Moloney, editor of Reality magazine.
In an editorial titled "Finding Signs of Hope" in the January issue, he points out that "church attendances by Western and European standards remain high, especially in rural areas but in many urban areas, too. And even though the overall percentage of churchgoers may be declining, the increasing number of lay people who play an active part in parish life is evidence that, at last, ordinary Catholics are claiming ownership over and taking responsibility for their church."
He continued: "There is, too, an increasing hunger for the spiritual, which our new-found prosperity has deepened rather than quenched." As examples he instanced the success of books like Anam Cara by Father John O'Donoghue and Now Is The Time by Sister Stanislaus Kennedy.
"There is strong admiration of church bodies, organisations and individuals that are committed to the poor and to social justice," he said, referring to the work of people like Father ean Sean Healy of CORI, Father Peter McVerry, who works with street children, and Father Sean Cassin of the Merchant Quay drugs project in Dublin. "Indeed, church voices are very often among the few today offering a critical analysis of the one third of our society the Celtic Tiger is leaving behind," he said.
Dedicated church people were in many instances doing the work of the State, while their "quiet contribution" to building peace on this island had received some public recognition.
Father Moloney also felt that while the priesthood and the religious life no longer attracted large numbers, many young people continued to respond in new ways to the call of God.
He concluded that "it would be foolish to deny that the last few years have been difficult for the church in Ireland. But it would be foolish too to ignore the signs of new life and of Christian living that are evident all around and which offer a real hope as we approach the new millennium."
