Group Discussion:
What is the Future for Faith?
Our theme invites questions such as how the invitation of Christ be brought to the attention of present and future generations?
The 2011 Census returns reveal that 84% of the population of Ireland identify themselves as Catholics, one-third of these attend Mass once a week, and in the MORI poll more than two-thirds attended services far less frequently. This apparent inconsistency needs to be carefully interpreted. There is undeniably a major decline in Church practice and in the sense of belonging to an active community. Many of the reasons are well known, some can be dealt with. Other reasons are not known and the Irish Church has no forum in which people with questions can be listened to.
The means by which Christ’s invitation to “Follow me” was made known to the older generations are now no longer available. There is a generation of parents who have had few opportunities and little time to deepen their faith, most schools have already passed out of the influence of clergy and religious, priests are burdened with an increasingly heavy workload
The objective of the discussion groups will be, through reflection and respectful listening, to come up with ideas that will provide some answers to these questions. The focus of these discussions will be the present reality of our Church, and the aim is to provide an opportunity to discern how the Spirit is working among us at this time.
We propose to document the points made in our discussion groups and report these ideas to the Bishops, the Papal Nuncio, the Association of Catholic Priests, the Association of Catholics in Ireland, and, through our website, to all interested people.