The Paschal Dimension of the 40 Days as an interpretive key to a reading of the new and serious challenges to faith in the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland 1990-2010 Kevin Doherty Doctor of Philosophy 2011 MATER DEI INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION A College of Dublin City University The Paschal Dimension of the 40 Days as an interpretive key to a reading of the new and serious challenges to faith in the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland 1990-2010 Kevin Doherty M.A. (Spirituality) Moderator: Dr Brendan Leahy, DD Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy August 2011 DECLARATION I hereby certify that this material, which I now submit for assessment on the programme of study leading to the award of Ph.D. is entirely my own work and has not been taken from the work of others save and to the extent that such work has been cited and acknowledged within the text of my work. ID No: 53155831 Date: ' M l 2 - 0 1 DEDICATION To my parents Betty and Donal Doherty. The very first tellers of the Easter Story to me, and always the most faithful tellers of that Story. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS A special thanks to all in the Diocese of Rockville Centre in New York who gave generously of their time and experience to facilitate this research: to Msgr Bob Brennan (Vicar General), Sr Mary Alice Piil (Director of Faith Formation), Marguerite Goglia (Associate Director, Children and Youth Formation), Lee Hlavecek, Carol Tannehill, Fr Jim Mannion, Msgr Bill Hanson. Also, to Fr Neil Carlin of the Columba Community in Donegal and Derry, a prophet of the contemporary Irish Church. To Fr Ciarán O’Carroll, for his assistance in reviewing the historical segments. To Tony Hanna for his reflections on the place of New Ecclesial Movements in the Irish context. To Fr Michael Hurley, for his advice on the International Cell Movement, especially in Ireland. To Mauro Biondi, for his guidance on the presence of Communion and Liberation in the Irish context. To Claudio Bandini, for his assistance in gathering information about the presence of the Neocatechumenal Way in Ireland. To Fearghus O'Fearghail of the Mater Dei Institute, for his generosity of time and counsel in reviewing the scriptural references. To the staff at Mater Dei library for their kindness and professionalism. A debt of gratitude is due to my family and friends for their support. To Gráinne Doherty, for her courage in reminding us that the Christian story is not black and white, but a profusion of colour, divergence and beauty. To Fr John Delany, for his relentless faithfulness in the telling of the Easter story. To Domhnall O’Neill for his honesty in wondering ‘Who do you say that I am?’ To Dervilla O’Neill for her passion in helping articulate a response. And especially to my good friend Ciara Walsh, who has been relentlessly encouraging and continuously supportive. In particular, I give thanks to Brendan Leahy, the moderator of this thesis. At all times Brendan was unfailing in his generosity of time and support. His encouragement, guidance and wisdom acted always as an inspiration and motivation. TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT.................................................................................................................j INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................ii CHAPTER I From Famine to Fall The Historical Journey of the Church in Ireland 1850-2010 1.1 ESTABLISHING THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT.............................................. 1 1.2 THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN IRELAND 1850-1989...................................... 2 1.2.1 The ‘Cullenisation’ of the Church ........................................................... 2 1.2.2 The Church and the New State: 1922-1949 ........................................... 6 1.2.3 The 1950s...............................................................................................11 1.2.4 The 1960s...............................................................................................16 1.2.5 The 1970s.............................................................................................. 21 1.2.6 The 1980s.............................................................................................. 24 1.2.7 Assessment of the Church entering the 1990s......................................29 1.3 IRISH CATHOLICISM 1990-2010...................................................................31 Recasting of the Church 1.3.1 Scandal in the Church............................................................................32 1.3.2 Institutional Scandal............................................................................... 36 1.3.3 The Fallout............................................................................................. 38 1.3.4 Influences advancing the ‘Liberal Agenda’ ........................................... 44 1.4 SYNOPSIS........................................................................................................47 CHAPTER II A Sociological Reading of the Church in Ireland 1990-2010 2.1 ESTABLISHING A CONTEXT FOR ASSESSMENT.................................... 51 2.2 THE ISSP (1998) AND EVS (1999) SOCIAL SURVEY STUDY................. 53 2.2.1 Sociological Analysis.............................................................................53 2.2.2 Further Analysis..................................................................................... 66 2.3 THE CHALLENGE OF INDIFFERENCE (The 2009 MacGreil Report) ...69 2.4 RESPONSE TO THE FINDINGS.................................................................... 73 CHAPTER III An Interpretive Key - The 40 Days 3.1 A THEOLOGICAL READING - INTRODUCTION........................................ 77 3.2 THE POST RESURRECTION APPEARANCES.......................................... 80 3.2.1 40 Days - Analysis................................................................................80 3.2.2 The Pauline Context............................................................................. 82 3.2.3 The Gospel Context.............................................................................. 84 3.2.3.1 Mt 28:1-10 Mary of Magda!a and the other Mary...........................85 3.2.3.2 Mt 28:16-20 The eleven disciples...................................................86 3.2.3.3 Lk 24:13-35 Cleopas and one other.............................................. 87 3.2.3.4 Jn 21 Simon Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, et alia............................90 3.2.3.5 Jn 20:11-18 Mary of Magdala.........................................................92 3.2.3.6 Jn 20:19-23 The disciples without Thomas...................................95 3.2.3.7 Jn 20:24-29 The disciples with Thomas........................................99 3.2.3.8 Mk 16:9-20 Mary of Magdala, two disciples, the Eleven............. 101 3.2.4 The Context in Acts..............................................................................102 3.2.5 Reflection on the Appearance Experience..........................................106 3.3 SYSTEMIC PERSPECTIVES ON THE EXPERIENCE OF THE RISEN CHRIST....................................109 3.3.1 The Impact of Encounter..................................................................... 109 3.3.2 The Eternal Presence..........................................................................111 3.3.3 Sacramental Presence.........................................................................113 3.3.4 Ecclesiological Presence.....................................................................115 3.3.5 Introducing the Irish Context................................................................118 CHAPTER IV Grieving What You Have Lost The task to ‘name our deaths’ 4.1 THE NATURE OF LOSS............................................................................... 120 4.2 GRIEVE WHAT YOU HAVE LOST.............................................................. 122 4.2.1 Name Your Deaths..............................................................................122 4.2.1.1 Secular Marginalisation of Religious Belief................................... 126 4.2.2 Death and New Life.............................................................................128 4.3 A CLERICALIST MINDSET..........................................................................133 4.3.1 Clerical Caste......................................................................................133 4.3.2 Vocation............................................................................................... 139 4.3.3 One Priesthood................................................................................... 144 4.3.3.1 Disenchantment with the Church................................................... 146 4.3.3.2 Customer and Shopkeeper...........................................................148 4.4 SACRAMENTAL ENCOUNTER................................................... 152 4.4.1 Appraisal - Retelling the Easter Story................................................157 4.4.1.1 Redundant Expectation..................................................................158 4.2.1.2 Call to Awareness..........................................................................159 4.2.1.3 Encounter with a 1Stranger’ ............................................................160 4.2.1.4 Oculata Fide................................................................................... 161 4.5 GRIEVE FOR WHAT HAS DIED...................................................163 CHAPTER V Adjusting to the New Reality The