New Course at People’s Catholic Seminary Marriage, Sexuality and Just Love

PCS 701: Marriage, Sexuality and Just Love (MPM 405)

Course Description

This course explores historical, cultural, feminist and contemporary theological perspectives on marriage, sexuality and Christian sexual ethics within a justice framework. Opportunities will also be provided to develop sacred rituals of celebration for married Christian and non-religious couples in a variety of relationship arrangements. Of special interest to pastoral leaders and any persons wanting to deepen the meaning of their marriage.

Principal Texts

Margaret Farley (2008) Just Love: A Framework for Christian Sexual Ethics. New York, NY: The Continuum International Publishing Group Inc. (Purchase)

Pope Francis (2015) The Joy of Love: On Love in the Family (Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia). New York, NY: Paulist Press. (provided in PDF on google drive) 

 Course Format

This course is offered as an independent study or in a cohort model. Cohorts use a blog format (www.blogger.com) to foster an interactive learning community. Students post assignments every two weeks over a period of 12 weeks and are encouraged to comment on each other's posts. They are also invited to participate in bi-weekly, 1-hour conference calls with the facilitator and other course participants in order to share and to expand learning. (A free conference call number will be provided.) This course can also be taken as part of the Masters of Pastoral Ministry (MPM) program at Global Ministries University. 

Assignments

Students complete six, 1-2 page, single-spaced reflections, which include theological dimensions, experiential wisdom and pastoral application related to past, present and/or future ministries. They can incorporate creative expression in their responses i.e. visual art, film, poetry, dance, music. An additional culmination paper is required for Masters of Pastoral Ministry students.

Course Facilitator

Barbara Billey, M.Ed., M.A. (Counseling), D.Min. is a counselor, art therapist and priest with the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests who ministers with the Heart of Compassion Faith Community in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. She's been married to her husband, Ken for 36 years. Barbara is an avid nature enthusiast, a dancer, singer and writer. Life-long learning is one of her many passions. She has officiated wedding ceremonies, both secular and sacramental.

Cost: $ 100 US

To register: https://pcseminary.org/marriage-sexuality-just-love

Demonstration for Justice: Janice Sevre Duszynska ARCWP

Last night we had quite a large group inside Union Station in Washington, DC to protest the imprisonment of 16-year old Palestinian, Ahed Tamimi, who has been imprisoned for three weeks along with her family after Israeli soldiers stormed their home at night, frightening them.

Ahed slapped the face of one Israeli soldier

In response to the torment they were causing her mother and family. She could be

sentenced to 10 years in an Israeli prison, which are hellholes, according to those who have been there. This photo was taken after our 90-minute protest which was live streamed to the people of Palestine. About 60 people joined us, including those in orange jumpsuits from the Witness Against Torture people protesting the continuing

imprisonment and torture of those held at

Guantanamo. Janice Sevre Duszynska ARCWP

on the left: Janice Sevre Duszynska ARCWP with CodePink

Grateful on my Birthday for the Gift of Life, Family and Friends

Bridget Mary with brother Patrick Meehan

Bridget Mary with sister-in-law Valerie Kritter

With my friend Paula at McDonald's today

WORD FOR THE DAY

How did the rose ever open its heart and give to this world all of its beauty? 

It felt the encouragement of Light against its being; 

otherwise we all remain too frightened.

HAFIZ, TRANSLATED BY DANIEL LADINSKY

Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Community at Sun City Center “Celebration of Life, Hope and Prayers for 2018” “This is the day our God has made, let us rejoice in it” (Psalm 118) January 11, 2018

All: Let us begin in the name of our God, God of Love, celebrating the diversity of peoples and faiths, our Brother Jesus blessing us in solidarity with all, and guidance of Sophia Wisdom for the year ahead. Amen


Opening Prayer All:

We come to worship you Loving God who showers us with blessings and asks us to be blessing for others in our new year. May we cherish every amazing day, conscious of your Presence and abundance all around and for us. We ask you to give us insight into our lives, the needs of our community, and ministry this year. May we celebrate with joy the many blessings we will receive in 2018. May we pray for guidance to follow you with the People of God in our ministry with them. Amen


LITURGY OF THE WORD

Reading from Edith Stein, The Hidden Life, p 115.


A new year at the hand of (Jesus)—we do not know whether we shall experience the end of this year. But if we drink from the fount of the Savior each day, then each day will lead us deeper into eternal life and prepare us to throw off the burdens of this life easily and cheerfully at some time when the call of (our God) sounds. The Divine Child offers us his hand to renew our (commitment). Let us hurry to clasp this hand. (God) is my light and my salvation—of whom shall I be afraid? The inspired word of Edith Stein All: Thanks be to God


Psalm response – Psalm 99 from Nan Merrill

Response All: Sing praises to the Beloved. Holy are You, Giver of Life!


Awaken, O people! Entrust your hearts to Love, for the Beloved reigns supreme; let all the earth give thanks! Your unseen Presence is great in the land; You sit with the leaders of nations.

All: Sing praises to the Beloved. Holy are You, Giver of Life!


Let the leaders be silent and guided by your Voice! Holy are You! You are mighty and love justice, You establish equity; Out of the Silence, your Word can be hard in the land inviting the nations to live in peace. Listen you people! Open your hearts to the Beloved, that Truth may be born anew! All: Sing praises to the Beloved. Holy are You, Giver of Life!



Many who have gone before us followed the Beloved’s Voice. The unknown saints of all generations. They surrendered themselves into the Beloved’s hands, and walked with confidence. They were guided through difficult times keeping to Love’s way, and trusting in Love’s promises. All: Sing praises to the Beloved. Holy are You, Giver of Life


O Heart of all hearts, You answered their prayers; with mercy, You forgave their wrongdoings, always inviting them to new life. Sing praises to the Beloved, and aspire to ascend the holy mountain. Holy are You, O Giver of Life! All: Sing praises to the Beloved. Holy are You, Giver of Life!


Reading from William McNamara, OCD, Mystical Passion, p 124


We have not grasped the ultimate seriousness and sacredness of a single human act because we have not understood how absolutely unique every human being really is. To be unique is not a matter of peculiar differences but of outstanding fidelity. When all is said and done that is what the spiritual life is all about, fidelity: to myself and the God who calls me to become more and more gracefully myself, my very best self; not in isolation but in communion with the whole human race. My passion must go on mounting until I am so faithful that God will look on me with pleasure and say: “This is my beloved son and daughter” (Mt 3:17) The inspired word of William McNamara. All: Thanks be to God


The Good News for 2018: adapted from 1 Samuel 3:1-10, 19-20

During the time young (your name -YN) was minister to our God under Pope Francis…One day Pope Francis was asleep in his usual place…and (YN) was asleep in the temple of the our God. Our Brother Jesus called to (YN) who answered, “Here I am” (YN) ran to Pope Francis, “Here I am. You called me.” “I did not call you,” he replied. This exchange happened three times. The third time Pope Francis advises (YN) “If you are called reply, “Speak Jesus, for your servant is listening.” When I went to sleep in my place, Jesus came and revealed his presence, calling out as before, “(YN), (YN)!” I replied, “Speak, for your servant (YN) is listening.” The good news of Jesus, the Cosmic Christ throughout creation and time! ALL: Glory and praise to you, Jesus Brother of our thankfulness and hope.


SHARED HOMILY: For what in 2017 are you thankful? When were you called by Jesus in 2017? What are your hopes self, family, community, country for 2018?


CREED:
All: We believe in God the fountain of life flowing through every being. We believe in Jesus the Christ our Brother who reflects the face of God and the fullness of humanity. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the breath of God in the cosmos, who calls us to love and serve without counting the cost. We believe in our global communion with all in the circle of life. Amen to loving actions on behalf of justice, healing, compassion and equality for all in our world. Amen.


Community petitions: With hearts filled with loving compassion, we lift up the needs and hopes of our families, friends, community and our country. All: God of hope and new life answer us.

For our country and all elected officials, we pray:

For all those who are ill especially Wanda ARCWP who is recovering from open heart surgery and for those who have died especially Judy Beaumont a founder of ARCWP who has died , we pray:

Please add your intentions


Presider: We hold these and all our unspoken intentions in our hearts as we gather around your Banquet Table today. As always, we pray in our Brother Jesus’ name. All: Amen


Offertory of gifts and ourselves:

Co-Presider: Blessed are you, God of all creation, through your goodness we have this bread to offer which earth has given and human hands have made. This bread is our community as we offer our lives in ministry for others' blessing. May we individually and as a community live your vision of peace and justice for all including the earth. This will become for us the bread of life. All: Blessed be our God blessings forever.


Co-Presider: Blessed are you, God of all creation. Through your goodness we have this wine to offer, fruit of the vine and work of human hands. This drink is our desire to live for the Common Good. This wine and juice will become our spiritual drink. All: Blessed be God of hope forever.


Co-presider: My sisters and brothers let us pray together that our gifts may be acceptable to our Creator Spirit and Love.

All: May God accept these gifts from our hands, for the praise and glory of God's name, in thanksgiving for our lives and for our compassion and our ministry for the Common Good of all. Amen

Let us stand around our table and altar (Canon adapted from Diarmuid O'Murchu for Holy Wisdom)

Sing: We are holy, holy, holy...you are holy, holy, holy..., I am holy, holy holy...We are holy, holy, holy...3times (Karen Drucker)


Invocation:

Presiders: That same Spirit we invoke upon the gifts of this Eucharistic table, bread of the grain & vine of the grape, that they may become the body and blood of Jesus – to nurture afresh in us the discerning gifts of wisdom, light and truth. We ask the Spirit to bless each of our ministries in 2018.


Invoking the memory of tradition:

Presider: Gathering the disciples around the table of shared wisdom,

Extending our hands All: Jesus took bread; blessed you God of all good gifts,

broke the bread and along with the cup, handed to those seeking nourishment, with these words: Take this all of you, eat and drink: This is my body which will be given up for you.


Presider After the meal, Jesus took another cup, poured out in a spirit of solidarity and empowerment.

Extending our hands: All: Jesus gave thanks and shared the cup with his friends, saying: Take this all of you and drink from it; this is the cup of my life-blood, the life of the new and everlasting covenant. In prophetic solidarity, it is poured out for you and for all. Sustain one another in the power of sacred memory.


Eucharistic Acclamation

All: In faith and hope we are sustained, in grace and dignity reclaimed, in praise, we thank our God.


Presiders: As we celebrate this sacred meal, we recall the wise and gracious gifts bestowed on us down through the ages; and we look forward in hope, knowing that you, our wise and faithful God, will continue to endow us with abundant blessings.



Second Invocation to Holy Wisdom: (Placing your right hand on the shoulder of the person next to you.) All: In the power of this Eucharistic meal, bless us afresh with the gift of the Spirit, that our hearts may be open and receptive as you invite us into the fullness of life.


Presider: In union with all peoples living and dead, we unite our thoughts and prayers.

All: We ask for wisdom and courage:

-to share our wisdom as elders with others as ministers of you kindom.
- to discern more wisely your call to us in the circumstances of our daily lives;
- to act justly and courageously in confronting the pain and suffering that desecrates the Earth and its peoples;
- to take risks in being creative and proactive on behalf of the poor and marginalized;

-Always to be thankful for our lives and to live the hope that your Presence brings to all.
- and to love all people with generosity of heart, beyond the labels of race, creed and color.


Presiders: And may we ever be aware and alert to the new things the Spirit makes possible, as our world unfolds amid pain and beauty, into the fullness of life to which all are called, participating in the wise and wonderful work of co-creation. All: Amen


Doxology: (lifting up the bread and wine) All: In the wisdom of our triune God, Creator, Liberator, and Holy Spirit, we are blessed with the gifts of this Eucharistic table, and with all the good things bestowed upon our world, now and forever. Amen.

Our Sign of Peace
Presider: God who teaches by life and example who has nourished us is our peace. Strangers and friends, male and female, old and young, the God of peace has broken down the barriers to bind us to God’s Self and to each other. Having tasted God’s goodness, let us as a community extend a sign of peace to one another.



LITANY FOR THE BREAKING OF BREAD
ALL: Loving God, You call us to live mercy, we will do so. Loving God, You call us to live justice, we will do so. Loving God, You call us to live equality, we will do so.

Presiders: This is Jesus our Brother, who calls us to open doors that are closed and share our bread on the altar of the world. All are invited to eat and drink at this sacred banquet of love.


ALL: Jesus, we are worthy to receive you and to be your compassion and wise elder s for our world. Let us say to one another, You are a priest of God. We are the Body and blood of Christ.

Please dip the bread as this is cold and flu season


Prayers of Gratitude

Anointing of each other for 2018


CONCLUDING RITE
Presiders: Our God is with you.
ALL: and also with you.


Closing BLESSING (Everyone please extend your hands in mutual blessing)

ALL: May you with all the saints who have followed the voice of Jesus

surrender yourself into the hands of our God of unconditional Love.

With confidence that Jesus and Sophia Holy Spirit will guide you through difficult times and joyous ones, keeping to his Way and trusting in Love’s promises in our new year. Amen

DISMISSAL into our New Year of 2018
Presider: Go in the peace and Love of our Brother Jesus our God of gratitude and hope.

Let our ministry of love, compassion and seeking justice continue!

ALL: Thanks be to God.

Happy New Year to all.

3 Beautiful Poems by Priest Chaplain Mary Sue Barnett ARCWP

Priest Chaplain Mary Sue Barnett ARCWP

The Grand Cathedral

While sleeping

just before sunrise

I say,

“Come on up little girl.”

And there she is,

instantly rising from my depths,

cheek-to-cheek with me in the light.

Together, robed in white,

we walk as one,

silently, inconspicuously

through the grand cathedral.

To this one who says,

“I am depressed,”

I give bread.

To another who says,

“I am lost,”

I anoint with oil.

To she who says,

“I have no hope,”

I bless with words.

To he who says,

“I am numb,”

I breathe Presence into the pain.

To each one

the little girl assures,

“You are beautiful,

You are worthy,

You will heal in Divine Love.”

Together, robed in white,

we walk as one in joy

through the grand cathedral

where healing is more beautiful

than the sun, excelling

every constellation of the stars.

Walking Inside The Divine

Now I know

I have always

held the keys

straight from heaven

for every beckoning

door on this

cold and lovely earth.

To walk the

corridors of suffering

is a stroll

inside the Divine

I have always

held the keys

to be so free.

With each and

every door

that I swing open

Christ appears

ever unique

everyday a new

face and a new cry.

I walk

the intimate maze

of human sorrow

listening to each

flash of heaven, human beings

their tears

on wise

anguished faces.

As I arrive

with humble

bread and cup

to share a

meal of love

and tenderness

I see that

we are

the Presence

as told by

the tears

on their wise

anguished faces.

I have always

held the keys

to be so free.

A Chaplain’s Epiphany

At the table

he says

to me

“I am

hopeless”

From my sea

of silence

I see his

downcast face

From my deep well

of quiet

I see his

tortured mind

From my wide sky

of peace

I see his

heavy soul

From my river

of repose

I see his

mournful heart

Then as if

breaking from

my chest wall

my fleshy heart

stands upon the

table and speaks

“Hope is like

a little light

always there

if even covered

by the night

whether you see

it or not

and it says

‘come to me’

and never

ever stops

saying

‘come to me’

At the table

my exposed heart

greets his

suffering soul

so little

it all is

so fleeting

and

inconsequential—

Raw

embodied

quiet

and golden

this is

the hope that

is the whole

of me

Our encounter I

place in the

gentle light

of the mystery

of the Epiphany

that says

again today

‘come to me’

Upper Room - Epiphany Liturgy 2018

Dennis McDonald, ARCWP and Mary Skelly led the Upper Room Epiphany Liturgy. 

Dennis McDonald's Reflection on Epiphany:

The Gospel of Matthew is being written for a community, most likely in Antioch, at a time when the Christian church in that city included both Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians. The author is promoting unity between the two groups. This information is helpful when we begin to reflect on the parable of the coming of the wise men, wise women, or both, or in our rendition today, astrologers. By the way, there never is a number mentioned of how many came, the number three reflects the number of gifts mentioned. They came the story goes, after “seeing his star in its rising” and they came to pay homage. It is Matthew’s way of introducing the message that not only the Jews but all people, represented by the astrologers from the east, are embraced in the life of Christ Jesus. The Light of the World is a title given to the Christ, it is the light we all reach out to, search for, contemplate to find the true meaning/purpose of our lives.

Many of us have spoken over the past few years of being drawn to this community, of how the Upper Room has been a light in our lives, allowing us to rediscover a path for our spiritual journey. We gather, as companions on the journey, similar to the Magi, who, in the story, saw the star, the beacon, that pulled them, to discover Jesus, the newborn ruler, the one who came to lead in a new way, all who would follow, to relationship with the Divine. Brian Swimme, a scientist who teaches Evolutionary Cosmology, calls this the Theory of Allurement. This theory suggests that there is a power that there is a power at work in the universe that works by alluring one body to another, until eventually all bodies are drawn into the very power that provides the force of allurement. Teilhard de Chardin called the endpoint, the Omega Point, the perfection of all creation.

The Upper Room may be a beacon for us; it is a spiritual resource that helps us to focus on our journey of discovering the light within and around us. It feeds our souls, so that we can, individually, seek and discover the divine light within, assisting us, alluring us to that which is our calling for the world for the movement toward the Omega Point. We are in the midst of allurement, having been pulled together into this community of faith, which feeds and nourishes us. This nourishment comes from breaking open the Word and breaking bread together, symbols of being members of the Body of Christ, the one who invites all to relationship with the Holy One.

What did you hear? Where are you being guided? What will it cost you?

The Lost Tradition of Contemplation" by Richard Rohr, "The Divine Spirit planted deep inside each of us yearns for and responds to God—and vice versa (see James 4:5)."

..."Actually, who you are in God and who God is in you is the only self that has ever existed. It’s the only self that exists right now. The trouble is, most people don’t know it. It’s not their fault; we just have not given them the tools they need to connect with who they really are. The dualistic and argumentative mind will never get you there. Thus we have an identity crisis on a massive scale!


The contemplative mind has not been systematically taught in the West for the last five hundred years. The Spanish Carmelites Teresa of Ávila (1515-1582) and John of the Cross (1542-1591) were the last well-known teachers of contemplative awareness in European thought. With the so-called “Enlightenment” and the argumentative Reformation, Western Christianity almost abandoned contemplation in favor of dualistic thinking and its own strange form of “rational” thought, which actually produced fundamentalism in both its Catholic and Protestant forms. Thomas Merton (1915-1968) felt that even the monasteries no longer taught the contemplative mind in any systematic way, as monks just “said prayers” with their old dualistic minds. Without contemplation, there is not much depth or interiority to Christianity. It is just beliefs and belonging systems. That is probably why the Reformation was so necessary. Unfortunately, reacting to unjust or unhealthy systems with only dualistic thinking will produce more of the same.


You cannot know God the way you know anything else; you only know God or the soul of anything subject to subject, center to center, by a process of “mirroring” where like knows like and love knows love—“deep calling unto deep” (Psalm 42:7). The Divine Spirit planted deep inside each of us yearns for and responds to God—and vice versa (see James 4:5). The contemplative is deeply attuned and surrendered to this process.


We are not so much human beings trying to become spiritual. We’re already inherently spiritual beings and our job is learning how to be good humans! I believe that’s why Jesus came as a human being: not to teach us how to go to heaven, but to teach us how to be a fully alive human being here on this earth."

Gateway to Presence:
If you want to go deeper with today’s meditation, take note of what word or phrase stands out to you. Come back to that word or phrase throughout the day, being present to its impact and invitation.
Adapted from Richard Rohr, Immortal Diamond: The Search for Our True Self (Jossey-Bass: 2013), 121, 122;
Contemplative Prayer (Center for Action and Contemplation: 2003), CD, MP3 download;
Transforming the World through Contemplative Prayer, disc 3 (Center for Action and Contemplation: 2013), CD, MP3 download;
The Naked Now: Learning to See as the Mystics See (The Crossroad Publishing Company: 2009), 16; andJust This (Center for Action and Contemplation: 2017), 39.

"Jesus as Critic of Hypocrisy Then and Now", by Edward Simmons on January 5, 2018

https://progressivechristianity.org/resources/jesus-as-critic-of-hypocrisy-then-and-now/

..."The standard Jesus used to evaluate religious leadership was simple: look at their actions. How can we tell legitimate spokesmen for God from the false? “You will know them by their fruits.” (Matthew 7:16; Luke 6: 44). How can we tell which religious leaders truly love God? They imitate the actions of the Samaritan who, not thinking of his convenience or righteousness or the worthiness of the victim, went out of the way to help someone in need. They do not side with the wealthy and prosperous against the needy, or celebrate their success by living in affluent enclaves; rather, they live among common people compassionately and non-judgmentally as they shun lives of extraordinary privilege.

Loving God, according to Jesus, is best seen when people are treated as neighbors to be loved without judgment or compulsion. Such behavior recognizes the sovereignty of God now and looks forward to fuller realization of justice in the future.

The message and example of Jesus are clear for our time and for all time. The challenge for disciples then and now is to: “Go and do likewise.” (Luke 10:37)"

Cardinal Tobin: "I hope Women Will Continue to Speak Truth"/ Excellent Article

https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2018/01/08/cardinal-tobin-i-hope-women-will-continue-speak-truth

..."In the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, I think particularly of Annette “Mickey” Lentz, who is the chancellor. She is serving in a number of places we wouldn’t normally expect to see a laywoman.

She was present and participative in the priests’ council, in the college of deans and at all levels of the archdiocesan leadership. She is the face of the archdiocese.

What motivates you to promote and encourage women in leadership, whether on the local level or on the level of the universal church?

I think some of the most deeply held values are values that we experienced as children. Growing up in a family that had a lot of women—a mother, her two sisters who lived with us and eight sisters of my own—and to see all of them encouraged and confident in themselves, with a very strong and noncoerced connection with their faith, encouraged me. In fact, people would thank me or challenge me for stances that I’ve taken in the past. I would explain, this is something I don’t have to think a whole lot about..."

Archbishop Eamon Martin, Primate of Ireland, Said Abortion is Wrong in All Cases Including Rape, My Response- Conscience, Compassion and Vasectomy Sunday by Bridget Mary Meehan ARCWP

https://www.her.ie/news/archbishop-questions-if-rape-victims-should-be-given-abortion-access-382727

My Response: The church's opposition to the morning after pill in cases of rape, in my view, is morally wrong, and the hierarchy's continued obstinate opposition to contraception is reprehensible when we know that is one of the best ways to prevent unwanted pregnancy. 

What is the most loving thing to do in a situation in which a woman has been brutally raped? 

There is a huge difference between the morning after pill and an abortion in the third trimester of a pregnancy. 

After prayerful reflection, supportive counseling, the bottom line is that this is an issue where the woman must follow her conscience. 

 This situation illustrates why the Catholic Church needs women priests.

In our international movement there are many mothers and grandmothers - deacons, priests, and bishops- who  know what a crisis pregnancy is all about. They would be compassionate companions to walk with women in this devastating situation.   They'd  promote responsible birth control and the primacy of conscience in these kinds of crises. 

When is the Catholic male clergy going to promote vasectomies for men in their Sunday homilies? Really, I have never heard a sermon on male responsibility for unwanted pregnancies!

Bridget Mary Meehan ARCWP, www.arcwp.org

Archbishop Martin was asked if he believed rape victims should be denied the morning after pill and abortion access.

"A woman who has been raped has suffered the most horrendous crime. A terrible violence on her body. I'm not sure doing further violence by taking away the innocent child's life...I don't feel that is the answer. We can't deceive her into thinking that this can all suddenly be taken away by taking away the life of her...child."

Sexual Violence Cork, a support service for rape victims, said that to deny a rape victim her right to bodily autonomy would compound the trauma she had already experienced.

A spokesperson for the charity said,

"We are of the view that a woman or girl should have the right to choose, irrespective of the circumstances of the pregnancy. To deny their right to choose - whatever that choice is -  to deny that choice to women and girls whose autonomy and body integrity has already been ripped from them, is exponentially inhumane."

The spokesperson for Sexual Violence Cork also said that the Archbishop's comments were particularly galling given how many rape victims were imprisoned in Magdelene laundries, which were run by the Catholic Church and of which there are still millions in outstanding redress payments owed by the Church to victims.

"Maybe we have not been listening very well, maybe he has said it, but we would ask that he instruct his flock not to rape women and girls in the first instance."

When asked to respond to the pain of women affected by unwanted pregnancies the Archbishop agreed there was pain and suffering but said that the answer was not to tell women that their pain could be "taken away easily or quickly".

He stated:

 "what women need, what girls need in these situations is they need time, they need compassion, and compassion is really to journey with them, to suffer with them, to feel their pain, to help them in their pain..."

He also said that the clergy is keen to accompany women through the pregnancy.

"It's something that we're with you in and we want to walk with you through this..."

Asked about families with a diagnosis of a Fatal Foetal Abnormality Archbishop Martin said that  "we have to keep reminding ourselves that there are two lives, and we need to love them both, we need to protect them both."

The Director of Terminations For Medical Reasons (TFMR) Claire Cullen - Delsol said that the Archbishop's comments are offensive to women.

"The Archbishop asserts that without the 8th Amendment, the unborn child will be left defenceless. This implies he has no faith in the women and mothers of Ireland to protect their children. Women do not continue pregnancies just because the law prohibits ending them. Without a constitutional Amendment equating women to embryos women will still choose to become pregnant and have children. To imply we need to be legally constrained in our choices is insulting and misguided."

"The 8th Amendment has put women's health & lives in jeopardy & has contributed to a situation where heartbroken families are forced to travel to prevent pain & suffering of their loved, wanted children."

Ms Cullen - Delsol stated that TFMR members have had very positive experiences with local priests.

"Our experience with members of the clergy on the ground, in our communities has been of overwhelming compassion, understanding and care."

Ms Cullen - Delsol feels that the Archbishop is out of touch with how progressive most Catholics in Ireland are.

"The majority of Catholics use contraception, support equal marriage and divorce, and know that Catholicism is a choice for an individual, not something that should be enforced on a population or state."