|
|
CLIFF'S
TAKE...
|
|
|
036 :
31 May 2007
|
A
Rev Hannibal Lecter in a Cheap Cardigan! Cliff
Baxter returns with a powerful commentary to draw attention
to Markham Nolan's review of a powerful
new documentary about sexual abuse in the Catholic Church. Mr Nolan's
review is reproduced courtesy of The
Irish Echo newspaper. [more]
|
|
|
PEREGRINUS...
|
|
|
046 :
30 May 2007
|
Amazing
Grace? Peregrinus gave this
commentary the headline "Amazing Grace?" with a sense of wry
emphasis on the question mark. He personally hates the song but he also
explores the questions surrounding the grace attached to the song's author,
the Rev John Newton – a man credited with helping to end slavery.
Are there lessons we might take on board today from the story of John
Newton and his conversion to Christianity? Do we suffer from a similar
blindness? [more]
|
|
|
ANDREW'S
TAKE...
|
|
|
024 :
29 May 2007
|
Would
Jesus get a better deal from us? Andrew
takes a look at mob behaviour and bullying. Why do people engage in the
behaviour? Have we learned nothing since the time of Jesus? [more]
|
|
|
BRIAN'S
TAKE...
|
|
|
017 :
28 May 2007
|
Let
us be tongues of fire, criticising and energising... We publish
an audio file of Sr Susan Connelly's public address to the New
Pentecost Forum. [more]
|
|
|
PATRICK
W.COLLINS ON THOMAS MERTON...
|
|
|
007 :
27 May 2007
|
The
Spirituality of Thomas Merton IV Over the next two weeks, in the
fourth and fifth excerpts from his essay on the Spirituality of Thomas
Merton, Fr Collins examines how Merton's
ideas developed between the late-1950s and mid-1960s on what is actually
happening in the mystical (ecstatic) experience. What's the relationship
between the natural and supernatural in the realm of mystical experience?
[more]
|
|
|
IAN'S
TAKE...
|
|
|
039 :
26 May 2007
|
Factionalism...
Ian Elmer examines the divisions in the early Church as means of
trying to understand that unity is hard to come by — in Paul's time
or our own. [more]
|
|
|
PEREGRINUS...
|
|
|
045 :
23 May 2007
|
Abortion
and The Law ~ Part II... Peregrinus
concludes his elegantly argued exploration of the difficult territory
that Catholics need to negotiate when coming to an understanding of how
moral law interacts with the formulation of civil law. [more]
|
|
|
ANDREW'S
TAKE...
|
|
|
023 :
22 May 2007
|
Living
the spiritual life in a secular setting... Last week Andrew
ended his commentary with a brief reference to the former secretary to
the United Nations, Dag Hammarskjöld. What Andrew didn't tell
you is that he has a particular affinity with Mr Hammarskjöld.
At present, Andrew is packing up all his possessions in Perth and moving
with his wife and young son to live in Oxford for a year where he has
been invited as a visiting academic at Oxford University to write a book
on Dag Hammarskjöld.* Today he shares a little of what brought
fame to this famous Secretary-General of the United Nations following
his death in a plane crash in 1961. I am pleased to report to you that
Andrew hopes to continue filing articles for Catholica
when he has settled in in Oxford and, in the meantime, he has given us
a series of wonderful reflections which will run over the next four Tuesdays
while he makes the transition to the UK. This series is a mixed collection
of reflections on different aspects of life looked at from a spiritual
perspective. Today's commentary sits very comfortably with the observations
I was writing about yesterday concerning the spirituality of Opus Dei
which endeavours to view spirituality as part and parcel of our secular
lives. _Editor. *See
further information in the introduction to Andrew's commentary.
[more]
|
|
|
BRIAN'S
TAKE...
|
|
|
016 :
21 May 2007
|
What
can we learn from Josemaria Escriva, Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens?
Brian expands what was initially going to be simply a review of
John L Allen's book on Opus Dei into a related but wider discussion of
the issues raised by militant atheists, Richard Dawkins and Christopher
Hitchens, in two major media events over the weekend. [more]
|
|
|
PATRICK
W.COLLINS ON THOMAS MERTON...
|
|
|
006 :
20 May 2007
|
The
Spirituality of Thomas Merton III Fr
Collins tackles two principal issues in this third excerpt
from his essay on the Spirituality of Thomas Merton. In the first part
he's exploring how Merton saw spirituality in relation to science, particularly
psychology, and in relation to the other great religious traditions in
the world. In the second part he explores how Merton responded to the
counterculturalism of the 1960s and particularly the endeavours by some
to induce mystical experiences via drugs and halluncinations. [more]
|
|
|
IAN'S
TAKE...
|
|
|
038 :
19 May 2007
|
Change
of pace... This week Ian Elmer
has a change of pace ... and focus. His commentary examines the evidence
against the recent television documentary which claimed to have found
the lost tomb of Jesus of Nazareth. His commentary reads like a good detective
story trawling through and comparing the evidence. [more]
|
|
|
FR
DANIEL DONOVAN...
|
|
|
001 :
18 May 2007
|
Draft
Pastoral Plan needs serious re-write suggests Academic...
The Archdiocese of Sydney recently circulated a Draft Pastoral Plan for
public discussion. A pdf copy of the draft document is available on the
Archdiocesan website.
The feedback being picked up by independent religious journalists and
commentators around Sydney is that at the parish level there is disquiet
about the draft plan. Fr Daniel Donovan,
a lecturer at the School of Religious Education at ACU National was approached
by a number of parishes to provide a critique of the Draft Plan. His conclusion
is that the draft is seriously flawed and needs to be taken back to the
drawing board for a major re-write. He argues the document is theologically
flawed and needs to pay far greater heed to official Vatican documents
and the accepted teaching of the Catholic Church. In his critique, Fr
Donovan cites a number of significant Vatican level documents which would
urge a different approach to be taken to what has been proposed in the
Draft Pastoral Plan for Sydney. We publish here the critique Fr Donovan
has provided to the parishes that requested it. [more]
|
|
|
PEREGRINUS...
|
|
|
044 :
16 May 2007
|
Abortion
and The Law ~ Part I... This week Peregrinus
begins a beautifully thought-through and argued commentary seeking to
establish with more precision what the authentic Catholic view is in regard
to State legislation regarding abortion. [more]
|
|
|
ANDREW'S
TAKE...
|
|
|
022 :
15 May 2007
|
A
reflection on the price we are asked to pay... The price we are
asked to pay in the pursuit of truth, and of God, can be high. Andrew,
with the help of a few other famous commentators on the human condition,
examines this vexed question about the price of discipleship. [more]
|
|
|
BRIAN'S
TAKE...
|
|
|
016 :
14 May 2007
|
The changes to the Catholica Australia website In the email today the editor has a few comments on the developments at Catholica Australia. [more]
|
|
|
PATRICK
W.COLLINS ON THOMAS MERTON...
|
|
|
005 :
13 May 2007
|
The
Spirituality of Thomas Merton II In this second excerpt from his
essay on the Spirituality of Thomas Merton, Fr
Collins explores Merton's thinking on the otherness of spirituality
— it is a process of learning to detach oneself from the attachments
of the world, including ego. [more]
|
|
|
IAN'S
TAKE...
|
|
|
037 :
12 May 2007
|
Controversy
shaped the Church and our beliefs Continuing from his reflection
last week, Ian Elmer argues that the triumph of the Nicene
orthodoxy also marks the beginning of the "Roman Catholic"
church as a distinct religious institution, which ironically really
only occurred` as the result of a long and heated theological debate
about Christology. There is in this historical event clear parallels
to today as we again debate what it means to be a church that claims
to be "Roman", "Catholic" and "Apostolic".
As Santana says "those who are ignorant of history are bound
to repeat it". [more]
|
|
|
FRIDAY'S
EMAIL COMMENTARY...
|
|
|
302 :
11 May 2007
|
Changes
to the Catholica website... We're in the middle of making some
significant changes to the Catholica
website. A preview of the new home page is now available online and we'd
appreciate feedback from visitors. Click the image above to see the draft
of the new front page or read
the editor's post yesterday on the discussion forum. To appreciate
why musician, Matt Zarb makes it to the front page of Catholica
today you can read today's email commentary. [more]
|
|
|
PEREGRINUS...
|
|
|
043 :
09 May 2007
|
Go,
the Mass is ended! This may seem at first to be a curious
reflection that Peregrinus leads us through. It is well-worth
the investment though for the interesting facts he unloads on the
way to exploring the attitude we are encouraged to gird ourselves
with when we walk out of our Church each Sunday. [more]
|
|
|
ANDREW'S
TAKE...
|
|
|
021 :
08 May 2007
|
The
nature of our religious quest... This is a particularly
thought-provoking reflection by Dr Kania on the nature of
our spiritual quest. It is a plea for a more mature form of faith
expression than the often parodied picture of religiosity that is
presented in the media — and which some religious people give
cause to the media to parody. He argues: "God
calls for an awareness of self, an awareness of neighbour, an awareness
of Him, rather than flagellation, which can become a source of morbid
enjoyment and pride." [more]
|
|
|
BRIAN'S
TAKE...
|
|
|
015 :
07 May 2007
|
Learning
from accidents... Brian Coyne witnessed an horrific
car accident yesterday less than 600 metres from his home. In this
commentary he explores what lessons we might learn from accidents.
[more]
|
|
|
PATRICK
W.COLLINS ON THOMAS MERTON...
|
|
|
004 :
06 May 2007
|
The
Spirituality of Thomas Merton I It is with deep feelings
of gratitude that we are pleased to present this serialised series
of reflections by Fr Patrick Collins on the spirituality
of Thomas Merton. The entire
essay runs to over 12,000 words and we will be presenting it in
bite-sized portions over the coming Sundays. Fr Collins has previously
written for Catholica on the Spirituality of Thomas Merton and you
will find links to those articles HERE.
[more]
|
|
|
IAN'S
TAKE...
|
|
|
036 :
05 May 2007
|
The
controversy surrounding Arius — what can we learn?
Ian argues: "This reflection serves to remind us
that God simply doesn't provide us with all the answers in some
definitive way. We have debate and discussion, even argument, to
refine and define our shared faith – what else might we expect
from a God who chooses to enter into conversation with his creatures?"
[more]
|
|
|
FRIDAY'S
EMAIL COMMENTARY...
|
|
|
295 :
04 May 2007
|
Making
the Church Our Own... Professor Len Swidler
is about to release a new book entitled "Making
the Church Our Own — How we can reform the Church from the ground
up?". The editor of Catholica
is sceptical that the Church can be reformed "from the ground up".
What do you think? [more]
|
|
|
PEREGRINUS...
|
|
|
042 :
02 May 2007
|
Reading
Jesus in context... Still exploring this intriguing territory
our discussions seem to have focused on in the past week or so,
Peregrinus today explores how we need to read Scripture,
and interpret Jesus, in context — in the context of the times
in which Scripture was written, and in the context of our own time.
[more]
|
|
|
ANDREW'S
TAKE...
|
|
|
020 :
01 May 2007
|
The
sublime in simplicity... This week Dr Kania embarks
on a delightful suite of reflections that provide practical insights
into applied spirituality. In large measure spirituality, and general
good health, is linked to the frame of mind through which we view
life. Andrew's reflections are broadly looking at those things
which help form our mindset or "frame of mind". As always,
along the way, his essays also provide interesting historical observations.
[more]
|
|
|
BRIAN'S
TAKE...
|
|
|
014 :
30 Apr 2007
|
Drawing
attention to three interesting articles... Not so much a
"take" today, Brian Coyne simply draws attention
to three interesting articles. Two of them are concerned with moral
aspects of the climate change debate and the third concerns the
place of meditation in the moral and spiritual development of young
people. [more]
|
|
|
POPE
BENEDICT'S VIEW OF JESUS...
|
|
|
290 :
29 Apr 2007
|
Pope
Benedict's view of Jesus... Today the editor invites readers of
Catholica to read the review
of Pope Benedict's new book, Jesus
of Nazareth, that John L. Allen has published in
National Catholic Reporter. [more]
|
|
|
IAN'S
TAKE...
|
|
|
035 :
28 Apr 2007
|
Exploring
the development in Church thinking on this Mystery of the Christ...
Continuing this present fascinating discussion that has been going
on in both our lead commentaries, and in our forum, today Ian
Elmer takes us on a new tack. His commentary today explores
the controversial process the Church went through over centuries
to try and refine its understanding of the two natures of Jesus.
[more]
|
|
|
THURSDAY'S
EMAIL COMMENTARY...
|
|
|
287 :
26 Apr 2007
|
On
computing and our imaging of God... As well as some self-indulgent
comments on his fascination with computer programming, and the power of
these pieces of technology, the principal purpose of the
editor's email commentary today is to draw attention to a post Ian
Elmer has written in our forum overnight that is worthy of being treated
as lead commentary. Ian explore how our image of God helps form
our behaviour. [Ian's
post in our forum]
|
|
|
PEREGRINUS...
|
|
|
041 :
25 Apr 2007
|
Jesus
in his own words... Peregrinus takes a different
tack on the issue that has been under discussion on our forum concerning
the identity of Jesus. He invites us to reflect on Jesus' own self-descriptions
of his identity. [more]
|
|
|
ANDREW'S
TAKE...
|
|
|
019 :
24 Apr 2007
|
Marriage
III: The Sexual Devolution... Andrew Kania centres
this final commentary on Christian marriage around the plot of Anatole
France's 1912 classic, "The
God's will have Blood". Dr Kania concludes
by wondering: "perhaps society as a whole has taken the
form of Elodie Blaise, knowing that she is spiralling downward,
but unwilling to grasp that one reality for the sake of having to
admit to themselves or others that a gross error of judgement has
been made; or perhaps for fear of having to forgo that sweet forbidden
fruit, which she knows is poisoning her, but to which she has now
become so accustomed." [more]
|
|
|
BRIAN'S
TAKE...
|
|
|
013 :
23 Apr 2007
|
Trying
to better understand what we believe... Something he wrote
earlier in the morning on the CathNews discussion board triggered
Brian Coyne into this exploration of how the task of writing
helps us better articulate what we believe, and why. [more]
|
|
|
RUTH'S
VIEW ...
|
|
|
283 :
22 Apr 2007
|
Ruth
makes a comeback... The editor has been tied up with further technical
development of the Catholica website and hence no regular commentary
today. In place of a full lead commentary Ruth has something to
say about Alex and Ian's exchange on the discussion board about Doubting
Thomas. [ruth's
view animation][email
commentary]
|
|
|
IAN'S
TAKE...
|
|
|
034 :
21 Apr 2007
|
What
can we learn from a doubting Thomas? Ian Elmer is
back from his holiday in fine fettle with this fascinating and provocative
reflection on what we can learn from the Doubting Apostle, Thomas.
[more]
|
|
|
FRIDAY'S
EMAIL COMMENTARY...
|
|
|
281 :
20 Apr 2007
|
The
confusing picture we present of Jesus... Isn't the picture the
Church presents of Jesus confusing? What is the true picture of Jesus?
Is he none of these things, all of these things, or some super-amalgam
of the lot? What is your picture of Jesus? Is your picture the correct
one? [more]
|
|
|
PEREGRINUS...
|
|
|
040 :
18 Apr 2007
|
Re-visiting
one of the foundational stories of belief – Part II...
In this second part of his commentary on the story of Adam and Eve,
Peregrinus is exploring different understandings of what
the story is meant to convey. In particular he examines what is
meant by the expression "the tree of knowledge of good and
evil"? [more]
|
|
|
ANDREW'S
TAKE...
|
|
|
018 :
17 Apr 2007
|
Marriage
II: As Christ loved his Church... In what one suspects many
may view as an excessively masculine side analysis of marriage,
Dr Kania continues his exploration of the meaning in this
Christian Sacrament. [more]
|
|
|
EDITORIAL...
|
|
|
012 :
16 Apr 2007
|
This
behaviour is morally objectionable... The news on the weekend
that yet another priest in Australia is the subject of a witch hunt
by the self-appointed "thought police" is the pits. It's
time for the rot to stop. What is just as objectionable is when
some in the leadership echelons of the Church encourage this behaviour
or fail to stand up for their staff. [more]
|
|
|
BRIAN'S
TAKE...
|
|
|
012 :
15 Apr 2007
|
Building
a sense of "communio"... Brian Coyne, borrowing
a line from Bishop Justin Bianchini, argues in this commentary that
"communio" is part of the core business of the Church,
and of what we are endeavouring to achieve at Catholica. But how
do we build "communio"? Can it be imposed, or is it something
organic that grows from the people? [more]
|
|
|
THE
REQUIEM MASS AND FUNERAL OF JOHN BRIGGS...
|
|
|
011 :
14 Apr 2007
|
The
Requiem Mass and Funeral for John Briggs... As our lead
commentary for today we're pleased to bring you the eulogies and
the homily given on Friday, 13th December 2007 at the funeral of
John Briggs. Also included are some photos from the Requiem
Mass and the Graveside. [more]
|
|
|
THURSDAY'S
EMAIL COMMENTARY...
|
|
|
273 :
12 Apr 2007
|
Our
tribute to a special man... As tribute and remembrance to one
of the foundational members of this cyber parish, John Briggs,
who passed to the next life on Easter Monday, in the email commentary
for today we have republished the last post to Catholica.
It is a short but moving reflection that has much to say about the inner
journey to meaning and truth we are all engaged in. [more]
|
|
|
PEREGRINUS...
|
|
|
039 :
11 Apr 2007
|
Re-visiting
one of the foundational stories of belief – Part I...
Peregrinus submitted his commentary for this week from his
homeland of Ireland where he is presently taking a short holiday.
In it he goes back to explore different readings of one of the key
foundational stories in our understanding of our base nature —
the story of Adam and Eve and the notion of Original Sin. [more]
|
|
|
ANDREW'S
TAKE...
|
|
|
017 :
10 Apr 2007
|
Marriage
I: Aspects of Love... This week, Dr Kania begins
a new three-part series exploring different aspects in the Christian
understanding of marriage. [more]
|
|
|
BRIAN'S
TAKE...
|
|
|
010 :
09 Apr 2007
|
A
tribute to a priest who helped define the Australian character...
The Editor of Catholica is spending a few days in the Riverina town
of Narrandera over Easter. It's the home of legendary priest and
poet, Fr Patrick Joseph Hartigan,
who wrote under the pen name, John O'Brien.
Brian's commentary today takes the form of a small tribute
to Fr Hartigan. [more]
|
|
|
FR
JOHN O'KEEFE...
|
|
|
028 :
08 Apr 2007
|
What
is Spirituality? Due to an error on my part I had originally
scheduled an Easter Sunday reflection here from Fr John O'Keefe.
He had submitted a whole series of reflections which I have been
posting on the discussion forum through Lent and up until Good Friday.
Very late in the piece I discovered that his list did not include
one for Easter Sunday when I thought it did. In its place I am republishing
Fr John's wonderful reflection on Spirituality which we originally
published on 19th September 2006. Fr John is a Vincentian priest
based in Sydney. ...Ed. [more]
|
|
|
IAN'S
TAKE...
|
|
|
033 :
07 Apr 2007
|
The
Resurrection – fact, fiction, or future event? For
our Holy Saturday lead commentary, Ian Elmer seeks to open
our minds and hearts to the ultimate significance of the Resurrection
away from the sorts of discussions that go on endeavouring to portray
the resurrection if Jesus as some kind of resuscitation. [more]
|
|
|
THURSDAY'S
EMAIL COMMENTARY...
|
|
|
266 :
05 Apr 2007
|
Easter
2007... Catholica will
remain open throughout the Easter period and we expect to maintain our
regular publishing schedule. We will be endeavouring to maintain a vigorous
dialogue in our forums throughout this time of heightened liturgical significance.
Whether you are on the road or having a quiet time this Easter we wish
special blessings on you and your loved ones. [more]
|
|
|
PEREGRINUS...
|
|
|
038 :
04 Apr 2007
|
The
meaning in the Mystery of the Resurrection... In this commentary
for Holy Week Peregrinus explores the different Gospel accounts
of the Resurrection in search of the meaning in the Mystery. [more]
|
|
|
ANDREW'S
TAKE...
|
|
|
016 :
03 Apr 2007
|
Applying
conscience to moral dilemmas... In this concluding commentary
to his series looking at applied conscience, Dr Kania, returns
to the example of Metropolitan Andrii Sheptyts'kyi, the head of
the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church from 1900 to 1944. Sheptyts'kyi's
story has been little known in the Western world until the last
twenty years following the collapse of the Soviet Union. Dr Kania
suggests he stands as a tall leader following the dictates of conscience
to be "his brothers' keeper" in the protection of Jewish
people from State persecution. [more]
|
|
|
BRIAN'S
TAKE...
|
|
|
009 :
02 Apr 2007
|
The
journey to the Resurrection... Following his wedding last
Friday evening to Amanda McKenna, Brian Coyne links
this all back to the song that started the journey which itself
has special connection to Holy Week and the spiritual journey that
we're all making this week. The reflection contains
a large song file which probably won't be easily accessible by dial-up
users so I've provided a text only link as well. [more][text
only version]
|
|
|
IAN'S
TAKE...
|
|
|
032 :
01 Apr 2007
|
A
Reflection on the Passion of Mary... As we enter the holiest
week of the Christian calendar Ian Elmer suggests that of
the many images presented by the Passion of Jesus Christ "there
is none more poignant than the image of Jesus' grieving mother standing
at a distance, watching as her son is stripped of his dignity, publicly
humiliated, tortured and executed". Today he invites us
to reflect on the Passion through the eyes of Jesus' mother. [more]
|
|