Public discussion on controversial teachings of the Catholic Church

Posted on: 21 August 2018

The abuse scandal in the Catholic Church and the marginalisation of women and LGBT persons was the focus of a public discussion at the School of Religion, Trinity College Dublin yesterday evening in advance of the Papal visit later this week.

At the event, entitled ‘Voices Pope Francis will not hear’, Catholic theologians and campaigners also discussed the harm caused by the Vatican’s ban on contraception, the abortion debate and the silencing of priests and theologians. The event was organised by the UK-based Wijngaards Institute for Catholic Research and was hosted by Trinity’s School of Religion.

Speakers at the public discussion included Head of Trinity’s School of Religion, Professor Siobhán Garrigan, whose presentation focused on women and the Church, including the question of the ordination of women.

Professor Garrigan commented: “Trinity’s School of Religion is home to a significant amount of research on the themes being debated this week in advance of Pope Francis’ visit to Ireland, such as gender, sexuality, the idea of the church and the history of ordained ministry. This event focused in particular on the voices to which the institutional church will not listen.”

“Theologians working in universities can be seen by the Church as ‘secular’ and outside of clerical control, and therefore not to be heard. As a theologian, I hope an event like this can highlight the rich research that universities like ours perform and the vital contribution we make to the lives of people of all faiths and of none. It’s important to remember that the study of religion goes way beyond the analysis of supposed ‘systems of belief’ and that many atheists have spiritual experiences too.”

Other speakers at the event were Dr Hille Haker, Loyola University Chicago;  Jamie Manson, editor, National Catholic Reporter;  Dr Luca Badini, Director of Research at the Wijngaards Institute; Tony Flannery, broadcaster and catholic commentator and Dr Gina Menzies, Royal College of Surgeons, Ireland.

The event was preceded by the launch by former President of Ireland Mary McAleese of a new academic study to examine Vatican teaching on homosexuality and gender theology being undertaken by the Wijngaards Institute.

The School of Religion at Trinity (formerly known as the Confederal School of Religions, Peace Studies and Theology) is home to the Irish School of Ecumenics, the Loyola Institute and the Trinity Centre for Biblical Studies. The School brings together biblical studies, theology, ethics, theory of religion, and international conflict and peace studies as independent but related disciplinary fields.