Bishop Declan Lang was to launch a new strategy for his Clifton diocese this weekend that emphasises a “more outward focus” in ministry.
“Maybe we need fewer Masses rather than more, for the sake of the parish community,” he told The Tablet before the launch. “Priests shouldn’t say Mass, jump in their car and rush off to their next Mass elsewhere.”
Bishop Lang said “A Future Full of Hope” was inspired by Pope Francis’ emphasis on priests as pastors. Recalling a recent visit to France where he encountered a team of priests working with lay people, deacons and Religious running 13 parishes, he observed: “We have to learn to exercise our ministry in a new way.”
He described “A Future Full of Hope” as a roadmap for the next three years. Key themes raised in the diocesan feedback were family, young people and the Church, the environment and vocation. “I thought a sense of mission was lacking,” Bishop Lang said. “If people are too worried about the number of priests it makes them inward-looking.” In terms of young people, Bishop Lang argued it was important not to be too negative: “Sometimes we need to allow them not to come to Mass; we need to listen to young people and for them to still feel they are part of the Church.”
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