Excerpts from The Catholic Voice (Canberra), Nov. 2000

SOME TIME AGO I estimated that in this Archdiocese there were about 40 married Catholic priests no longer serving in the active ministry. In late September while the rest of the nation was focused on the Olympic Games, I met with five of them over a meat pie in my Favier House office.

On Palm Sunday 1996, I had travelled to Brisbane for a meeting of Epiphany, a group of former priests, their families and friends, It was an interesting and at times intense dialogue with about fifty people. I believed it was very worthwhile and productive.

In the latter part of 1998, there was a national meeting of Epiphany in Canberra. Most of the personnel were different to those I had met in Brisbane and I was limited in the time I spent with them, but again my impressions were very positive.

The recent informal meeting in my office grew out of concerns expressed in the Reconciliation Task Force which has been seeking to take some concrete steps to advance reconciliation in various areas during this jubilee year. We were aware of initiatives taken in at least two other dioceses (Ballarat and Toowoomba) to give recognition and thanks to priests no longer in active ministry.

The five men invited are all good friends of mine and are all very committed to the Catholic Church. I thought I knew most of their stories but I was deeply moved by what we shared in a little over an hour. What does reconciliation mean in their situation? What can be done by the 'official' Church to address their issues? How can healing be brought about, not just for them but for others in similar situations? We probably came up with more questions than answers.

There were expressions of sadness, regret, guilt and anger, but I did not detect any bitterness. There were also sentiments of relief, satisfaction, peace and the recognition of Godís love, the love of wives and families and acceptance by the community.

But in many ways they are people still living in the shadows, sometimes able to contribute to the life of the Church but in a way that can never be too obvious.

All of them, although they would be too humble to broadcast it, are making an enormous impact in their professional lives and are blessed in being part of a loving family life. They are advancing the reign of God but in a way that the official Church seems unable to acknowledge.

My five friends made no claim to speak on behalf of their brothers in similar situations. In fact, they were quite adamant that everyone's experience is different, just as there are differing needs, hopes and expectations.

 I had hoped that they might be able to make some suggestions as to how some reconciling steps could be made towards people in their situation.

My friends did not warm towards the idea of any grand event or gesture, but were enthusiastic about the kind of conversation in which were engaged that day. I recognised that the reconciliation process was severely limited by the current discipline binding the universal Church.

It occurred to me that there could be me benefit in having similar informal meetings with other small groups of 'former' priests.

Then there is the question of the 20 or more who served as priests of this Archdiocese but are now living elsewhere.

It would seem beneficial to extend the hand of friendship to them as well. My friends pointed out to me that circumstances often dictated that they leave their parishes and friends without the chance to say 'goodbye'. There must be a lot of unfinished business for all involved.

I would hope that during this year of Great Jubilee we might be liberated from some of the fears and limitations which bind us. There are many more conversations to be had.