Irish Times Series on Catholic Church by Patsy McGarry

Irish Times series

Patsy McGarry Jun.2, 2012

A new 'Irish Times' series begins today. Next week, Ireland hosts the 50th Eucharistic Congress of the Catholic Church. More than 80 per cent of Irish people still call themselves Catholic, but the church is out of touch and divided. Can it be repaired?

• Healing a broken church
• Pope and ceremony: how the 1932 congress melded church and State
• The Irish Catholic: How we differ from the German, Italian and Polish churches
• Catholic Ireland: 1932 versus 2012
• Church reformers get no blessing from clergy who fear threat to Catholic teaching
• Many Catholics 'do not believe' church teachings
• 'People's experience of church and the method of belonging' is set to change
• Never less cause for celebration with just a third of Catholics attending weekly Mass
• Ageing orders have land and property worth billions of euro
• The men and (few) women who shape Irish Catholicism
• Pope relies on just handful in Vatican for Ireland policy

Friday What will the Irish Catholic Church look like in 20 years?