Faith and Ministry in a Diminishing Church and a Post-Church Society: A View from Ireland

Abstract

This informal reflection discusses current aspects of the Catholic Church in Ireland in a ‘Post-Church Society’. The text is based on lessons from the lifelong ministry of Donal Dorr, an Irish Catholic priest who has served in both Africa and Ireland in pastoral and mission capacities. Dorr sets forth a series of challenges facing the Catholic Church in Ireland, but he also raises wider questions about the way the Church engages with contemporary societal issues. Specifically Dorr discusses reform in the Catholic Church, including post-Vatican II spirituality and the importance of lay and ordained ministry, all of which offer avenues for continuing theological reflection in contemporary Ireland.