Power of the Papal Brand
Posted: Sat Apr 30, 2005 4:19 am
Irish Independent News
There is now a generation of young Irish people under 30, perhaps up to 40 years for whom religion in general, and the Roman Catholic Church in particular,are in practice totally irrelevant.
They have no interest whatsoever in the various debates between ''liberals'' and ''conservatives'' within religion.
The wouldn't recognise a Bishop, or his crozier, if he bit them. They would stare at you in a wide-eyed puzzlement if you started going on about the Holy Trinity,much less the wars fought over transubstaniation versus consubstantiation.
The supremely irreligious tranche of Irish society are not a fierce, they just regard religion as a feudal hangover and a deep inconvenience to their personal lifestyle choices which has no place in the 21st century.
Serious minded Catholics, and indeed fair-minded Catholics in Ireland are concerned that the new Pope, Benedict XV1, might be just a shade too conservative, he might fail to embrace the ''big tent'' of Christianity and Catholicism which, after all, include gays, divorced people, people who use condoms and see nothing wrong with it. Oh dear,maybe he might alienate many good folk who are doing their very best according to their conscience.
www.unison.ie
There is now a generation of young Irish people under 30, perhaps up to 40 years for whom religion in general, and the Roman Catholic Church in particular,are in practice totally irrelevant.
They have no interest whatsoever in the various debates between ''liberals'' and ''conservatives'' within religion.
The wouldn't recognise a Bishop, or his crozier, if he bit them. They would stare at you in a wide-eyed puzzlement if you started going on about the Holy Trinity,much less the wars fought over transubstaniation versus consubstantiation.
The supremely irreligious tranche of Irish society are not a fierce, they just regard religion as a feudal hangover and a deep inconvenience to their personal lifestyle choices which has no place in the 21st century.
Serious minded Catholics, and indeed fair-minded Catholics in Ireland are concerned that the new Pope, Benedict XV1, might be just a shade too conservative, he might fail to embrace the ''big tent'' of Christianity and Catholicism which, after all, include gays, divorced people, people who use condoms and see nothing wrong with it. Oh dear,maybe he might alienate many good folk who are doing their very best according to their conscience.
www.unison.ie