More on Bishop Robinson and on Primacy of Conscience…

Dear friends,

What a fascinating time we live in! In the forum earlier this morning I drew attention to Stephen Crittenden's review of Bishop Robinson's book which was published in the Tablet overnight. If you value, in any way, your membership of the body of Jesus Christ I suggest you need to take yourself off quietly somewhere and read this review — and read Bishop Geoffrey Robinson's book. While I am sure the Ottaviani-like figures in the institution are not going to take all of this lying down and will endeavour to mount some rear-guard action, I am becoming more and more convinced as each day unfolds, that we are now in a graced moment of enormous change and possibly a moment of an enormous shift in power as to who controls the institutional Church at its core. Naked truth does have a power far more powerful than any gun, any nuclear explosion, even any camera. Any man, any woman, even any bishop, archbishop, cardinal or pope who attempts to defy this sabre, like the late Cardinal Ottaviani, will only have themselves to blame if they should even contemplate trying to stand in front of it and defy it or oppose it. <Read Stephen Crittenden's review in The Tablet (Free registration req'd but this is worth it)>

Coming on top of all that has happened in the past week Ian Elmer today has a very provocative commentary following up further on what he wrote last week about Primacy of Conscience. This time he explores it in relation to the complexities of the Stem Cell debate. Personally I think Ian is being understandably cautious in parts of what he writes. Taking off from Bishop Robinson's suggestions about where the Church needs to go back to torrs in the discussion of sexual morality I believe that debate (the one on sexual morailty) has also screwed up the entire Life Debate. At some point the institution is also going to have to re-visit where John Paul took us in this little wander about the garden of morality. This debate though cannot even begin to happen until it has sorted out the earlier issues at stake in the Church's teaching position about sexual morality and behaviour. I do think all readers who are attracted to the ethos of Catholica will find much of great value in the way Ian breaks apart this debate. <Read Ian's commentary>

Petition to the Australian Catholic Bishops Update...

The online petition stood at 1660 signatures at 1.15pm today. <Click HERE to access the information page> and <Click HERE to sign the petition online>.

Catching a wave...

In some ways we seem to have "caught a wave" here at Catholica in all the developments going on. The month just ended has seen a spectacular increase for our endeavour across all the measures by which we evaluate it. I won't have the final figures for the month until later tonight when they are processed but in broad terms we have experienced a growth of about 50% in our size over the month. It will be virtually impossible to sustain such a growth rate every month particularly given that our size is now quite significant with an audience of over 7,000 people each month however the past month has been extremely valuable in consolidating our position. Could I extend my deep thanks to everyone who has made this possible. I have long believed that encouraging a place for honest discussion where people are not continually looking over their shoulders trying to work out what the boss is thinking would be extremely successful. What drives Catholica, if you haven't already worked it out is the search for truth — not the search for certitude nor the drive to try and prove we have all the answers and we never make mistakes. I pray that we might always remain true to that central and guiding objective. I think, from the little of Bishop Robinson's book that I've read so far that this is also the guiding objective that shines through in all that he writes.

Best wishes for a great day wherever you happen to be ... in life, and in our world,

Brian Coyne
Editor and Publisher