Supporting our bishops who do offer courageous leadership…

Dear Friends,

Retired Australian Bishop, Geoffrey Robinson, has in the last week or so come under pressure from the Vatican, from an unsigned statement put out in the name of the Australian Bishops, and from at least one Cardinal in the United States, for his blunt book entitled "Confronting Power and Sex in the Catholic Church — Reclaiming the Spirit of Jesus". Bishop Patrick Power, who is presently on long service leave, yesterday sent Catholica this unsolicited statement of heartfelt support for Bishop Robinson which it is our great pleasure to publish. The sentiments expressed in this article very much accord with the overwhelming sense of support we detect being expressed for them in the lay Church we come into contact with in this nation. We salute both Bishop Robinson and Bishop Power for having the courage to exhibit the spiritual leadership of their people that they have shown. <Read Bishop Power's expression of support for Bishop Robinson>

Carla Van Raay

COMING UP: Should this former nun be let loose on today's seminarians? On Thursday evening I recorded a half hour interview with Carla Van Raay, the former nun turned call girl, who published an international best seller, "God's Callgirl", a couple of years ago and which I previously drew attention to on Catholica (see: www.catholica.com.au/brianstake/034_bt_260308.php). She has recently released a new book, "Desire: Awakening God's Woman". Readers of Catholica will find this an engrossing interview as Carla is most forthcoming of her journey into the convent, her later journey out and into exploring her sexuality, and then later still this new phase of her life. While she has left the Catholic Church her journey continues to be marked by a deep spirituality and searching. I will publish the interview tomorrow (Sunday). One prominent priest I know, who knows Carla well, has suggested to me that this woman ought be employed lecturing all seminarians in the Church to give them some understanidng of real world human sexuality. This ain't for Maria Goretti fans. It's for a mature, adult audience grounded in their own spirituality but open to listening to the perspectives of others who for a time shared our journey, became disillusioned with it, but continues the search. Her story gives insights into some aspects of the disillusion that so many seem to feel today for institutionalised religion. Carla also voices interesting criticisms of New Age spirituality — one of the other alternative attractions out there in the wider world.

Two Exclusives… No lead commentary today but in the public forum we publish a letter from Paul Collins questioning the style and manner of the Australian Catholic Bishops' response to Bishop Robinson's book. Paul's letter itself has created a stir in our forum. For registered members of the Catholica Forum we are today previewing another new song from the current series Amanda McKenna is recording. This is a more sophisticated treatment that will be appreciated by more skilled musicians. It is a reflection entitled "Take The World Away" written by Amanda and Dave Brebner in 2002 but this is the first time it's been recorded. It is written in a Jazz style. We are interested in both general feedback as well as feedback from pro and amateur musicians before the final vocals are recorded and the final mix takes place. The version on the Members' Forum only has a guide vocal and was recorded at 4.00 am this morning so you people are the first to hear and preview this track. <Read Paul Collins' letter and follow the discussion in our forum> | <Click HERE to listen to the preview (Registration Required)>

How pastoral attitudes to divorced Catholics underwent a revolution in the mid-1970s… The story of a seemingly "ordinary lay Catholic" who found himself quite by chance at the centre of a little-recorded episode in the history of Australian Catholicism where there was a sea-change in attitude to the pastoral plight of Catholics stuck in failed marriages. Barry Sinclair explains what happened and why. It is an interview that might have continuing value into the future for anyone who comes across the fraught territory of having to negotiate their way through a failed marriage. <Listen to the interview with Barry Sinclair>

Who is perceived as the most effective Catholic Bishop in Australia? Today we launch the first Catholica Poll. We're trying to find out who is the most effective Catholic bishop in Australia. Our poll is a bit dodgy — we admit that — but we hope it might stimulate much discussion that does lead to a more effective and pastorally responsive Catholic Church in this Great South Land of the Holy Spirit. All votes are anonymous but only one vote per ISP address. Tell your friends and encourage them to vote also. This survey is open to anyone, not just subscribers to Catholica or members of the Catholica forum. <VOTE NOW>

The search for "truth". What does this really mean? There's been much discussion on Catholica recently as to the nature of truth. By serendipity or God-incidence Dr Andrew Kania's commentary today is also related to this question of what is "truth" and how do we find it. Andrew examines the issue from two perspectives: the first is the plot of that great classic of Russian literature, Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov; the second is through the thoughts of Cardinal Newman in the struggle he went through in his conversion from the Anglican Church to Catholicism. <more>

2.3: The origin and development of the Sacrament of the Eucharist… Catholics, indeed most Christians, have celebrated the Eucharistic meal as the central and most often ritually performed symbol and sacrament of their beliefs. In this extract from his manuscript looking at the First 500 Years of Christianity, Tom Lee, examines how this came to be and how, over time, the meaning changed through reasons of governance and other cultural influences of later periods in human and Church history… <more>

A call to the Church to deal with human sexuality honestly… It's a deliberately provocative headline taken from a question that was put to Tom McMahon on a television talk show. Our commentary today is a call made by Tom McMahon ten years ago for our Church to face up to and deal with the issues of human sexuality honestly and directly. On the fortieth anniversary of Humanae Vitae it remains as relevant today as it has at any point in the past 40 years. <more>

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

Brian Coyne
Editor and Publisher