Do you think this would work in Australia?

Dear Friends,

Professor Len Swidler's commentary today is a ten-point program that has actually been taken up by a parish in Philadelphia in the United States. I honestly wonder if such an initiative would have any chance of getting off the ground in Australia without ecclesial-level endorsement from a very pastoral bishop? As Professor Swidler has argued in his series, the Americans do at least have a precedent for democratic ideas and governance in their local church. The growth of the Church in Australia has been shaped by different forces and we have no such precedent. Quite apart from that obstacle my gut sense is that the decline has now become so acute in the Church in this country, particularly in the leadership sectors of society which would be essential to get an idea like this off the ground, that it would be very unlikely to happen here. My gut feeling is that under Pope Benedict the exit out of the pews is now being cemented in place as effectively or more effectively than it was under his predecessor and there is very little likelihood now of any great rejuvenation occurring from the grass roots of Catholicism let alone from within the ranks of priests and bishops. My bet is that the decline will continue but we will see the gradual emergence of a Church of the Catacombs-like parallel structure and that is where one is more likely to see ideas like the one's Professor Swidler is putting forward in today's commentary implemented. What are your views? There's some excellent discussion going on in our forums at the moment and we'd appreciate hearing your views and reactions to the ideas Professor Swidler is putting forward. <Read Professor Swidler's commentary>

Best wishes for a great final day of 2007 wherever you happen to be ... in life or in our world!

Brian Coyne
Editor and Publisher