Bishop Alphonsus Cullinan of Waterford and Lismore has critiqued the national synthesis document that followed diocesan synod consultations in Ireland (CWN coverage).

“A number of things emerge from the Synthesis which challenge Church teaching which she has held since the beginning,” he said. “There is little or no mention of the poor, the sick, the homeless, drug abuse, the environment (and this after a lot of work on Laudato Si), the unborn, the housing crisis, the Word of God, the social and ecumenical outreach of the Church. This is very revealing and very disturbing.”

“I believe that we need to observe where the Church is flourishing in Ireland, where people, especially the youth, are being formed in character and in the Faith,” he added. “In contrast there are others who continually pump out their negativity, disappointment and desperation but have little else to offer. They have no growth.”