HUGE EXCLUSIVE NEWS STORY!

Dear Friends,

Today we bring you a huge story being played out on an international canvas. We are in the fortunate position to have this story before anyone else through the good fortune of one of our lead commentators, Dr Andrew Thomas Kania who just happens to have been standing in the right place at the right time. The developments in this story are still being played out and what the final outcome will be is probably something that is not yet even in the perview of God, although I'm sure God might have certain preferences as to how it should be played out. Human beings being what they are, and politics being what it is, who can yet tell what the final outcome will be.

In a nutshell the story is this: the largest of the Eastern Catholic Churches that looks to the Pope as the Primate of the Universal Church, the Ukrainian Catholic Church (also known as the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church), has become extremely upset at the game the Vatican is playing in its efforts to re-establish relations with the Russian Orthodox Church. The Ukrainians are feeling they are getting the raw end of the pineapple and have started letting Rome know in no uncertain terms that they are extremely upset at the recent developments. Dr Kania's commentary in fact is probably the best and most authoritative English language explanation of the Ukrainian perspective you are going to find anywhere on this tense issue. His commentary explains both the historical backgound very clearly as well as the current and recent issues that have been causing all the new upset. Cardinal Walter Kaspar, who handles these difficult and sensitive negotations on behalf of the Vatican is presently juggling with a very difficult set of balls. It will be fascinating to see how all this plays out in the coming weeks.

Dr Kania has been providing me with a personal running commentary on these developments in recent weeks. One of the interesting things I have learned through our conversations has been the good level of cooperation between the Ukrainian Catholic Church and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Unlike in many similar situations where there is an Orthodox and Catholic church operating side by side at a national level, for a variety of cultural and historical reasons there is little tension between the two churches in the Ukrainian nation and in fact a strong desire for reunification. Dr Kania informs me that in his own family there is also a manifestation of this great harmony between the two churches. His interest in the cause of Ukrainian Church unity has its origins in his parent's choice of godparents, both his Godmother and Godfather belong to Orthodox Churches. His special love for his Godmother engendered in him a desire to learn more about the Ukrainian people of central and Eastern Ukraine as well as the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. He has dedicated his commentary in remembrance of his Godmother, Mrs Nadia Lubtschenko, and all Ukrainians, like her, who suffered and endured the Holodomor of 1932-1933. <Read Dr Kania's commentary>

A SECOND EXCLUSIVE: Richard Sipe's overview report of Bishop Robinson in America Renowned campaigner against sexual abuse, Richard Sipe, has sent us this special overview report for Australian readers of how Bishop Geoffrey Robinson was received by the audiences who attended his lectures in America... <Read Richard Sipe's Overview Report>

New models of Church… Today we're continuing the discussion triggered by Fr Kevin Murphy's lead commentary yesterday. Dr Ian Elmer and others have already put forward a wealth of ideas in our forum. Waiting for Rome to do something is like praying for a miracle. It just ain't gunna happen. The inertia and fear that grips the institutional leadership today is simply too great. How might even some of the ideas that are being put forward implemented? <Read Friday's email> | <Join the discussion in our forum>

A different way of thinking about liturgy and Church life… The Bishops are advertising to call people back but there is a shortage of priests to minister to them if and when they come back. Society is changing in so many ways. The nature of how we will be Church in the future will be a lot different to what it is today whatever the Vatican might want. Fr Kevin Murphy suggests we ought to do a little thinking outside the square and look at "New Ways of Being Church". In this commentary he puts forward some suggestions… <more>

Thank you for one of the few places at the moment where you will see a strong growth curve for anything with Catholic in its name! I do want to express our deep thanks to you, our readers, on behalf of Amanda and myself as publishers, and all the commentators and the forum community who make Catholica what it is, for this strong and now sustained support that you are giving to our work. …Brian Coyne (Editor & Publisher). <Read more in Wednesday's email about the new records being set>

Abortion: Second commentary in a series looking at Fifth Commandment issues… Do your eye's glaze over, and do the shutters come down, when you see another article on abortion? I would urge you, if you can, to lift the shutters and pay attention both to what Dr Andrew Kania has to reveal about this subject in his commentary today and also to the arguments put in response by the Editor of Catholica, Brian Coyne. <Dr Kania's commentary> | <The Editor's Response>

5.1: A virtue of necessity… Over the next few Monday commentaries we are going to spend some time looking at the detail of the early outreach efforts of the embryonic, still largely Jewish, Christian Church. Tom Lee argues today that much of the early outreach was a virtue forced of necessity as the early followers of Jesus faced various forms of persecution… <more>

Some Definitions and a little history… In this second commentary on his new series exploring the meaning of Sacraments today, Tom McMahon, starts in a logical place — with some definitions and a little bit of the history as to how we came to have the Seven Sacraments we have today. <more>

Who is perceived as the most effective Catholic Bishop in Australia? Have you voted yet in the Catholica Poll? All votes are anonymous. Two Questions: If we had a Primate of the Catholic Church in Australia (which we don't) who do you perceive would be the best person to occupy the position? If Dr Pell moves from Sydney after WYD who do you think would be the best successor as Cardinal Archbishop of Sydney? <VOTE NOW>

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

Brian Coyne
Editor and Publisher