28th July 2013 - Interview with the Papal Nuncio to Ireland, Archbishop Charles Brown - Part 1 of 2

On this week's programme, Lorraine, John and Ann are joined by His Excellency, Msgr Charles Brown, Archbishop of Aquileia and Papal Nuncio to Ireland for an interview about his life and work with the church as pastor, curia worker in Rome and now as Papal nuncio.
 
The first part of the interview is broadcast this week with the second part to be broadcast next week. You can listen to the podcast of this week's full programme HERE.
 
Archbishop Charles Brown
 

 
We are joined this week by a special guest, Archbishop Charles Brown who is the current papal nuncio to Ireland representing the Holy See to both the government of the Republic of Ireland and the Roman Catholic Church on the island of Ireland.
 
Originally from New York, Archbishop Charles joins Lorraine and John in studio this week. Archbishop Charles shares with us on various parts of his life including his vocation journey; the various roles he has worked in in the Roman curia including his experience of working with then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. He explains the role of papal nuncio and outlines some of the challenges facing the church in Ireland today.
 
Despite the challenges facing the church in Ireland, Archbishop Charles' view is that we are beginning to see the light at the end of a dark and stormy two decades and while it is not the case of business as usual, the emergence of a new church in Ireland is underway particularly with the appointment of a new generation of pastoral bishops in the last few years.
 
But despite these "green shoots" one of the main challenges highlighted by the papal nuncio is the stark problem of vocations to religious and priestly life in Ireland and the impact this will have on the church in the future. He shares with us some of his views on the need for renewed prayer as the corner stone for vocations but also the need to be able to encourage men who would consider a vocation in the church.

The archbishop also explains to us the need to challenge what St Maximilian Kolbe, who died at Auschwitz, called the “the spiritual disease of our times as indifferentism . . . that it really doesn’t matter too much what a person believes” in some ways echoing the voice of Pope Benedict.

He also poses the question that Irish Catholics need to ask, why it was that “prior generations were able to pass on their faith in situations of extreme hardship – in times of persecution, famine and even forced emigration – while, in our own time of relative comfort and ease, the faith is not always being handed on”.....“Some would say that this was because prior generations were more ignorant than we are or that they held on to their faith because they had nothing else. I have real problems with that kind of explanation.” and outlines how previous generations were contemplatives in action whilst not being aware of it as it was natural to them in their daily lives where despite not being "theologically literate" or aware, they were more in tune with time and space for God.

Some other interviews the papal nuncio has done:

• Salt + Light
• EWTN

Gospel - Luke 11:1-13

Imagine the scene ....

Petitioner: "Our Father which art in heaven........"
God: "Yes?
Petitioner: Don't interrupt me. I'm praying.
God: But you called me.
Petitioner: Called you? I didn't call you. I'm praying. "Our Father which art in heaven.......
God: There, you did it again.
Petitioner: Did what?
God: Called me. You said, "Our Father which are in heaven." Here I am....what's on your mind?
Petitioner: But I didn't mean anything by it. I was, you know, just saying my prayers for the day. I always say the Lord's Prayer. It makes me feel good, kind of like getting a duty done.
God: All right. Go on. ....

.... from a play by Andy Lund. Continue the reflection HERE


Reflections on this weeks gospel:
 
Word on Fire
English Dominicans
Centre for Liturgy
Blue Eyed Ennis
 
Liturgical odds and ends
 
Liturgy of the Hours - Week 1, 16th week in ordinary time
 
Saints of the Week

July 29th - St Martha
July 30th - St Leopold Mandic
July 31st - St Ignatius of Loyola
August 1st - St Alphonsus Liguroi
August 2nd - St Peter Julian Eymard (First Friday)
August 3rd - St Nicodemus
 
Popes Intentions for August 2013

Parents and Teachers. That parents and teachers may help the new generation to grow in upright conscience and life.

The Church in Africa. That the local Church in Africa, faithfully proclaiming the Gospel, may promote peace and justice