Some weeks ago I blogged about Mick Peelo’s RTE documentary on the problems facing the Catholic Church in Ireland. I recorded the second of the two-part series and have only just had a chance to see it.

Essentially Peelo was looking at two aspects of modern Catholicism……Sacraments and Education. I don’t know why I was surprised that most Catholics who do not attend Church actually want their children to be baptised. The interviews with priests and parents seemed to show that they themselves are confused.

From the point of view of the Church itself, the baptismal promise made by all parents to bring their children up as Catholics is evidence enough of a commitment to so do….and that the parents are to be congratulated for this. Yet this would have been unacceptable a mere thirty years ago. Likewise, the commitment of (non-attending) parents to have their children take First Communion seems strange. It cannot be entirely dismissed as a social convention. The underlying theme….though not necessarily overtly stated was that despite its faults …..Catholicism hands down a set of decent values which the parents (mostly) share.

For budgetary reasons….as well as a nod to “modernity” the Catholic Church in the Republic of Ireland is anxious to give up much of its role in Education. For budgetary reasons, the Irish Government cannot afford to take on the role.

As Ireland becomes more secular, there is a growth of “non faith” schools, especially in Dublin. Yet a surprising number of this lost (?) generation seem to want Catholic education for their own children. Again the reasoning seems to relate to a belief in most Catholic values while wanting an arms length relationship with the Church itself.

It is possibly a pity that Mick Peelo did not look at “church” marriage or “church” funerals. There is perhaps an inconsistent but understandable relunctance of lapsed Catholics to fully break with the only Church they know. And also a relunctance of the Catholic Church to burn all bridges with their wandering flock by insisting on a more “active” faith.