035 :
30 Jun 2011

Bishop Morris: Has the Vatican forgotten the lessons from Fr Feeney? Today's commentary from Fr Dan Donovan contains a massive amount of interesting reading material if you include all the articles he links to in the body of the article and the footnotes. Fundamentally what he presents is a comparison of the treatment of Bishop Bill Morris and an earlier excommunication of an ultra-orthodox priest in the United States in 1953, Fr Leonard Feeney SJ. The treatment of Fr Feeney is even to this day a sore issue with some conservative elements and even to more moderate and liberal elements who believe he was treated with gross unfairness and a lack of due process. The excommunication of Fr Feeney and his followers was eventually overturned by Pope Paul VI in 1972 and Fr Feeney died in 1978. Coincidentally we received this commentary from Fr Donovan shortly before the editor of Catholica left to attend the American Catholic Council in Detroit. On the second day of the Council meeting, the editor was surprised to hear one of the keynote speakers, James Carroll (who is also mentioned in Fr Donovan's commentary), also mentioning the relevance of the Feeney case to Catholicism today. So, tomorrow, as well as the fascinating research provided by Fr Donovan we will also be providing you with some video highlights from Mr Carroll's address at Detroit. The commentary and the video will be of interest to readers of Catholica for two reasons: (i) for the information contained about the perspectives of one of the more conservative elements in the Church who today seem to increasingly dictate the agenda being pursued by the hierarchy; and (ii) for the specific arguments Fr Donovan raises regarding the justice issues and double standards involved in the treatment of both Fr Feeney and Bishop Morris. [more]

094 :
29 June 2011

Book Review: Jason Berry's analysis of the secrets behind Catholic Church finances It could be argued that the greatest mystery in Catholicism is not the Mystery of the Holy Trinity or the Incarnation but the mysteries surrounding Catholic Church finances and the legal structure in which the institution is encased. It is without doubt true that there is not a single person on the entire planet who knows what the Catholic Church in total is worth. To most people it is also an enormous mystery as to how the institution reaches some of the conclusions it reaches as to what is truth and what is justice and how the Catholic Church is structured as a legal entity. Probably for the first time ever an investigative journalist, Jason Berry, has attempted to begin the process of trying to investigate these great mysteries about the financial and legal structure as to how institutional Catholicism is organised. In today's review of Jason Berry's new book "Render unto Rome: The Secret Life of Money in the Catholic Church", the editor of Catholica, Brian Coyne, provides an overview of what is in the book and argues why it ought be a "must read" for any person who is seriously interested in trying to understand where modern day Catholicism is heading. [more]

1785 :
26 June 2011

Travelling in Hughie time! The publishers of Catholica, Brian Coyne and Amanda (Milly Mungbeans) McKenna, have returned from their long pilgrimage across the United States and Canada. Today's email provides a brief reflection on their trip — how to live in Hughie time — and an update on our return to the normal publishing schedule from next Wednesday. [more]

092 :
29 May 2011

Can the Catholic Church re-evangelize itself? There's a big conference for Catholic Educators taking place in Sydney this weekend with a focus on intiatives within Catholic Education to evangelize or re-evangelize young people. We'll be presenting some reports on the Conference and also endeavouring to fire up a conversation, particularly in light of Dr Tony Lowes' commentary on Saturday about what is required to pull institutional Catholicism out of its present crisis of relevance in modern society. You can read the first part of our report and the conversation starter on our forum now. More will be added later today and tonight including, hopefully, video footage from the concert held last night as part of the Conference. [more]

006 :
28 May 2011

Bleak House Part 4 – with a bit of joy at the end! Dr Anthony Lowes ends his examination today of the bleak state the institutional church with nine dot point priorities of what needs to be done to return a bit of joy to this institution which played such an important part in shaping us and indeed Western culture. Our increasing view here at Catholica is that pigs might fly before any of it happens. What he writes about though might well be very important in shaping the Phoenix that arises from the burnt out ruins of the church that Josef and Karol built out of the excitement and hope of Vatican II. Do yourself one big favour today and read this commentary right through and then spend five minutes bathing in the music, the images and the thoughts at the end. YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED! [more]

177 :
27 May 2011

Hopefully not the last word on +Bill Morris • It's not going to go away. Tom McMahon brings us news today of a French group that has written in support of Bishop Bill Morris. Tom's commentary today explores a little further the implications of this disturbing development for the welfare of the entire Body of Christ. He suggests there are lessons we can learn from American history and, in particular, +John Carroll, America's first bishop. He also draws attention to the recent commentary on Catholica by Dr Brian Gleeson which revived a discussion on Collegiality — a central Vatican II ecclesial concept that is under increasing threat. [more]

1754 :
26 May 2011

Seeking your feedback • We know from the feedback we constantly receive that a large part of the readership of Catholica are more senior citizens who literally have devoted the best years of their lives at parish, diocesan or national level endeavouring to bring to life the vision discerned by the great majority of bishops at Vatican II of where the Spirit was leading the church and the world. Many today carry a sense — a lot of it discerned from feedback from our own children — that the directions since chosen by the late JPII and more especially by Benedict have been an unmitigated disaster. Their policies have been positively driving the great majority out of the Church who have been leaving. WE NEED A NEW DIRECTION. We don't want to leave and create new churches, or join any of the thirty or forty thousand other Christian churches or sects. Could I encourage you to spend a few minutes reading the discussion that is already starting on our forum where I have expanded on the above and endeavour to put forward some positive suggestions about where we head now. [more]

1753 :
25 May 2011

An extraordinary document! We interrupt our normal schedule today to bring you a quite extraordinary story that broke late last night in Australia. It came in the form of a eulogy or tribute posted on a very conservative Catholic website to the recently deceased Australian Catholic Barrister, Paul Brazier, written by one of his former legal colleagues, Michael Baker, revealing the extraordinary influence the late Mr Brazier had on Catholic Church governance in Australia over decades. [more]

1752 :
24 May 2011

How do we explain religion? In place of a lead commentary today we draw your attention to a fascinating conversation going on in our forum that covers a large canvas. It covers history, politics, spies, religion, spirituality, mental illness, and the story of how some of us had relatives who were "committed". This has also evolved into what seems to be a discussion about how we explain religion as a phenomenon in society. A couple of our contributors have unearthed links to major studies going on seeking to explain the human need for religion. If you don't end up in the funny farm after indulging yourself in today's Catholica conversation you'll know you are quite OK and fully sane. Enjoy! And thanks to everybody who has been contributing to this wonderful exploration. [more] | [the original sub-string begun by Vynette discussing politics, religion and mental illness]

004 :
23 May 2011

Vinnie Nauheimer lets fly at the John Jay study into the causes of CSA The recently released study commissioned by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, described in short-hand as the John Jay Report, does not appear to have been receiving a good press. Vinnie Nauheimer, a US campaigner on the inadequate responses of the institution to clerical abuse, is another who is not impressed and today on Catholica lets fly with what he sees are the shortcomings in the study. [more]

1750 :
22 May 2011

Two cartoons and great conversations • Today, instead of a commentary from John Chuchman, we're bringing you two cartoons from another blog site he runs. There are a couple of big discussions on our forum centering on some publicity a conservative Catholic convert and Murdoch Press columnist, Christopher Pearson, gave us in Murdoch's leading broadsheet daily across Australia on Saturday. See the first link that follows. There's also continuing discussion on the recent release of the John Jay College of Criminal Justice report into the causes of Clerical Sexual Abuse in the United States. See the second link that follows. Milly and myself attended a wonderful reflection day yesterday further up the Blue Mountains at Blackheath sponsored by Catalyst for Renewal and led by retired priest and scholar, Fr Eugene Stockton. See the third link that follows for the report I wrote early this morning on that wonderful, enlightening and uplfiting experience — including a couple of pics. The theme of the reflection day was an investigation of the history of Christian Mysticism but, as you'll find in my report our conversation got to cover other interesting territory as well. [Pearson discussion] | [John Jay discussion] | [Eugene Stockton conversation] | [John Chuchman's cartoons in today's email]

005 :
21 May 2011

Bleak House Part 3... The subject matter of Dr Anthony Lowes examination of the bleak state the institutional church today echoes so well with that short, 10 minute excerpt from Edward Stourton's BBC documentary, Absolute Truth, that we are including it again at the conclusion of the commentary. Where did this institution begin to run off the rails to the point where 86% of the flock in the educated parts of the world have simply walked out the door? [more]

1748 :
20 May 2011

A conversation about editorial policies... The big discussion in our forum today has been over an editorial published in The Record newspaper from the Archdiocese of Perth in Western Australia which has been very brutal in its attack on Bishop Bill Morris and whether this would accurately reflect the views of the Archbishop who owns the newspaper. This has led to a wider discussion about editorial policies. [more]

0110 :
19 May 2011

How should power be shared in the Church? The current discussions in the wider media and on Catholica following the events surrounding Bishop William Morris, as well as the on-going Catholica discussion about Papal Primacy and whether the role of the Pope is to be interpreted as some exclusive channel of God's thinking to humanity or as coordinator of the church-wide, or human-wide, effort to interpret what the Divine is saying through ALL men and women, prompted Dr Brian Gleeson to suggest we re-run this article he wrote in 2003. It was published in the very first edition of the e-Journal of Theology published by Australian Catholic University. We suggest the arguments Fr Gleeson presents are highly relevant to the discussions that need to be taking place within the Church at the moment and, from our point of view here at Catholica given our skepticism of where everything is heading at the moment, for whatever shape the Phoenix might take if the institution does end up being reduced to some smouldering ruins. This essay was originally published under the title: "Power-Sharing in the Catholic Church Today: Making Collegiality Really Happen". [more]

176 :
18 May 2011

Do you realise the key role you are invited to play? Despite the efforts of the editor to get us away from the anger unleashed by the treatment meted out to Bishop Bill Morris, it seems that anger is not going to go away. This affair is taking on the spectre of the damage done by the previous major gaffs in Benedict's pontificate. As Tom McMahon has been following the affair from the other side of the Pacific he's found the anger rising in him. He's not really happy with how this commentary turned out because of it but he attempts also to provide an analysis of the anger these sort of things unleash and how to deal with it. [more]

061 :
17 May 2011

An open letter of support to +Bill Morris... For today's lead reflection I have chosen a letter submitted by Judith Lynch which is effectively an open letter of support to Bishop Bill Morris. Why Bill Morris has received such widespread sympathy around the world is that he does seem to represent a view of Catholicism that many aspire to but which sadly seems to be gradually been taken away from us by a small minority in the lay Church, the priesthood and the hierarchy. Judith ends her letter by saying: "I want to welcome you to the world that many women have been living in for years. We have chosen to remain true to our Catholic Baptism. We long to see a Church that relies less on the exercise of power and more on walking the walk that Jesus walked in the company of men and women that he recognised as equal in the eyes of God." [more] | [See also a significant news story analysis in today's email]

016 :
16 May 2011

Questioning the understanding of Papal Primacy Part 7... Readers of Catholica, and in particular those who've been following the commentaries from Vynette Holliday and others, will probably have noted the recent emphasis placed on the question of Apostolic Succession and Petrine Primacy in the statements concerning Bishop Morris's forced retirement. Vynette's commentaries began long before any of us expected the Bishop Morris' story to erupt in the way it did and for the question of the Petrine Succession to be raised as a significant point of justification for the way in which Bishop Morris was treated. Today's commentary takes us a little further forward in Vynette's questioning of this belief. [more]

038 :
15 May 2011

Seeking a New Direction • In some ways John Chuchman's reflection today might be considered a circular argument. He's taken some words from the editor of Catholica and from Timothy Radcliffe OP published in yesterday's email and reformatted them to view them through a slightly different face of the prism. It's a reflection basically on what is ultimately important and may be valuable as we seek to discern a change in orientation here at Catholica. ...ed ...ed [more]

004 :
14 May 2011

Bleak House Part 2... The events of the past week in Australia following the forced retirement of Toowoomba Bishop, Bill Morris appear to have been an enormous downer for the spirits of the majority in the Church in this country. In some senses this series from Dr Anthony Lowes examining the bleak state the institutional church today is perhaps the last thing we need today to lift ourselves out of the gloom. Part Two of his series today though does have an optimistic tone seeking to find ways in which we might re-articulate and re-relevance the foundational insights of Christ. Dr Lowes' suggestions today might be the basis for the opening of a vigorous discussion as to what is needed to breathe life back into the bleak house. [more]

1741 :
13 May 2011

Was the ACBC President's letter valuable? Well, the controversy emerging today seems to be over whether ACBC President, Philip Wilson's letter regarding the situation in the Toowoomba Diocese was a useful contribution to the situation or otherwise? When drawing attention to it on Catholica yesterday, shortly after yesterday's email went out, the editor argued that, "in the circumstances, it was". Other members of our community disagree and they have been quite forthright on the forum and in private emails to the editor. [today's email] | [the discussion in our forum] | [the editor's counter arguments]

175 :
12 May 2011

Whose side is God on? It's a question that goes back decades, possibly centuries — ever since humankind has been at war. Bob Dylan incorpated it into a song in the 1960s. Whose side is God on? Tom McMahon brings it back to centre stage of Catholica today in asking whose side is God on in this contest between Bishop Bill Morris and Pope Benedict and the Vatican? [more]

1739 :
11 May 2011

The protests continue... The Bishop Morris story continues to generate much discussion in the educated and informed sectors of the Church around the world. National Catholic Reporter — the largest source of news on Catholicism reported from an independent position — is devoting a lot of space to the matter. Meanwhile it's also still a big discussion item in Australia as well. Sadly, if our bishops are discussing it they're not saying anything publicly but Paul Collins predicted that on Sunday night in his interview with John Cleary on the ABC. Meanwhile on our forum there's discussion on a lot of other things as well including a discussion I started overnight on the big "end time questions": "What do we actually mean by heaven, hell, purgatory and a Last Judgment?" and there's discussion on infallibility and all sorts of other things. You certainly won't be short of anything to mull over or meditate on today. [today's email]

1738 :
10 May 2011

A Personal letter to my former boss and all bishops... Today's lead commentary for reflection is an email I have sent to my old boss, the Archbishop of Perth, Barry Hickey (who handed in his resignation a few weeks ago on reaching the age of 75 and awaits the letter from Rome appointing a replacement). I sent this email to him this morning but it contains a message I'd like to address to all the bishops of the world. [read today's reflection]

1736 :
08 May 2011

Please Listen to This... It's too long to write it in this introduction but the editor was told a deeply moving story this morning by one of our readers. That story is related in today's email and also in a post on our forum. Don't hang around here but just go read the story. We feel sure you will be moved to your bootstraps about how this man was moved when he watched a short video put together by another member of Catholica, Stephen ("Oh Yet We Trust") and posted on the Catholica Forum yesterday. The video has evidently moved a considerable number of people judging by the number of views Stephen's post received yesterday. While we have your attention, today is celebrated as Mothers' Day in Australia. Can all us blokes in Catholica wish each of you women of the world, whether you are mothers or not, a massive, big "HAPPY MOTHERS DAY"! [today's email has all the links you need for a moving experience]

1735 :
07 May 2011

Still generating new revelations after six days... We're having to temporarily suspend our normal commentaries because of the workload being imposed by the Bishop William Morris story. It is still generating new revelations after six days with a major story in this nation's major broadsheet daily, The Australian, today. In a significant scoop, journalist Michael McKenna has revealed in his article in The Australian today considerable new detail of what has transpired in the ecclesial politics being played out between the Vatican, the Queensland bishops, Bishop Morris himself, the president of the Australian Bishops Conference and the American bishop, Chaput who carried out the "visitation". This is a "must read" news report for anyone seriously interested in what is going on and what has gone on. The Bishop Morris story is not the only thing generating discussion on the Catholica forum but it is by far the principal focus of everyone's attention. The main link today will take you to the string on our forum where the Michael McKenna story is being discussed. In the string below it I have written some editorial comments that I hope might give some moral support to the bishops to maintain their courage and resolve in this matter. One conservative reader of our forum has done me the favour of forwarding what I have written to Archbishop John Bathersby along with a recommendation that the archbishop take me to court for defamation. I will gladly welcome any writs that might be issued as a result of his recommendation. What I have written might be uncomfortable but is not defamatory. You can read his open letter to Archbishop Bathersby in the second string on our forum. [more] | [see also today's email]

174 :
06 May 2011

Royal Weddings, love and revolution! Tom McMahon today starts off his commentary with a beautiful quotation from Pierre Teilhard de Chardin: "Some day after we have mastered the winds, the waves, the tides and gravity we will harness for God the energies of love: and then for the second time in the history of the world man will have discovered fire." It needs a phrase added to it after the word gravity: "and after we have mastered the forces of reaction in the Holy Roman Latin Church who have their heads constantly buried in the past rather than the future ... we will harness for God..." Are we at the point where Teilhard's vision may be transformed into a reality? [more]

1731 :
03 May 2011

The controversy caused by the forced retirement of Bishop Morris continues... As you can imagine there is a lot happening as a result of the forced retirement of Bishop Morris. As a result of that we haven't been able to prepare a lead commentary today but there is more than enough for reflection in the Catholica Forum, including links to the latest media reports — perhaps the most interesting of those is a response from Bishop Morris himself — and the National Council of Priests of Australia has issued a media release offering solidarity with Bishop Morris and the priests of his diocese. The Council also appeals to Pope Benedict "to listen and build bridges of trust, faith and love with those who have been hurt by this decision". [more] | [see also today's email]

037 :
02 May 2011

Calling for moral courage on the scale exhibited by Christ himself! The significant religious affairs story in Australia today has been the forced retirement of the Bishop of Toowoomba, William (Bill) Morris, in rural Queensland by the actions of the temple police in this country aided by forces in the Vatican. The matter has already been generating significant discussion and moral outrage on the Catholica forum. In this editorial we argue this matter calls for a response from the broad mainstream of Australian priests and bishops on a scale of that exhibited by Jesus Christ himself. [more]

1729 :
01 May 2011

Putting out into the Deep... In one month's time we will be celebrating the fifth birthday of Catholica. On Friday just gone we took a momentous step to give Catholica a great deal more independence and we are about to start charting new waters. In a few week's time we'll be publishing "on the road" as we travel to the American Catholic Council and that will necessitate some changes to our normal schedule. Our email today provides information about some of the changes. [more]

034 :
01 May 2011

A very special homily... In place of a lead commentary today we present for reflection the homily by the Bishop of London, the Right Rev Richard Chartres which has been causing many people around the world to pause to reflect on. The spirituality reflected in this homily would seem to be deeply sympathetic to the sort of spirituality so many who have dropped out of regular participation in institutionalised Christianity are looking for. It is love centred, inclusive spirituality seeking to reach out to all of Creation and lift each individual to their full potential. [more]