Sir, - I found Christmas Mass very unsettling. Although the church was packed, the outward participation of the congregation was virtually nil. It left me wondering: what are the Church leaders about?
With their manpower falling dramatically, their withdrawal from educational establishments a future certainty, and social change in Ireland occurring so rapidly, they would need to be empowering leaders in the lay community to carry on Christ's mission. Now is the time when they still have the experience of the present remaining clergy and religious orders to draw upon to aid this process. This task is enormous and revolutionary. It may involve, for example, redefining the role of the priest and exploring the possibilities of transferring some of this role to lay people within theologically permitted limits; setting up specific courses for educating lay people in Church doctrine; establishing recognised colleges of theology specifically for lay people who will work at local level; querying the whole notion of "parish"; taking a less patronising approach to women in the Church; handling the media more adeptly and perhaps learning how to have fun, socialise and pray in our churches. Let's not leave this third millennium to chance. - Yours, etc.,
Barbara Redmond, Bellevue Lawn, Delgany, Co Wicklow.