Our most read commentaries in 2008...

Saturday, 31 January 2009

Summing up 2008!

Dear Friends,

Our most read commentary in 2008 was actually first published in 2006 as part of our Seven Deadlies series. It is the commentary on Greed written by Dr Ian Elmer. This page, which was originally published as the front page of Catholica during January 2009 gives an overview of the most popular commentaries published on Catholica in the previous 12 months.

The extraordinary growth of Catholica in 2008! For the past few days I have been up to my eyeballs studying the readership statistics for Catholica over 2008. What the study has revealed is a strong confirmation of my original intuition that we could create a community with significant outreach to the educated sectors of the population who have become disenchanted with institutional Catholicism. The principal vehicle for this would be via search engine enquiries. On the surface, to many people, Catholica may seem like many of the other web initiatives similar to older communication technologies where you publish a newspaper or magazine and look to the interest generated in the days immediately following publication. On Catholica many of the commentaries do not generate significant interest immediately. Our most read commentary in 2008 was in fact published originally in 2006. It attracted 31,889 reads during 2008. In fact two commentaries published in 2006 made it into the top 25 most read commentaries in 2008 as did 12 commentaries originally published in 2007. None of these commentaries received significant publicity on the front page of Catholica, in the daily emails, or on the forum. Interest in these articles was principally generated by search engine enquiries and links from other media. Over the next 12 days we will publish a countdown on this page of the most read commentaries during 2008 and I'll update the following list each day which will eventually show the top 25 commentaries for 2008. What the wider statistics are revealing though is quite extraordinary depth of interest in the commentaries over sustained periods of time. Catholica seems to have found a niche that has not been previously targeted by any other organisation or community. All up the approx 2000 commentary pages on our website were read 489,339 times over the year. The statistics mentioned so far mainly refer to the daily lead commentaries. The discussion forum attracts even more interest. Over 2008 the forum attracted a total of 858,508 reads over the year with the most read string attracting 22,773 visits. There were a total of 341,280 visits to the website during the year (28,440 per month averaged over the whole year or now running at 37,322 per month averaged over the last three months of the year). In our forum I will provide further commentary on the statistical study I've been engaged in in recent days. Brian Coyne, Editor and Publisher <Link to Ian's Commentary on Greed>

Greed: it's good (with reservations) Ian Elmer argues that there has been an enormous shift in the official thinking of the Church as to how we approach moral law. He argues: "This new take on sin and greed is the result of both the insights of modern biblical scholarship and other significant philosophical shifts within the Church and wider society. Vatican II embraced anew the biblical themes of covenant, heart and conversion, and not law, as the primary moral concepts. Notions of responsibility and justice have displaced older concepts like obligation and law as the primary characteristics of the moral life." [more]

Heaven, Hell, Purgatory and all that "stuff"! Long time lover of authentic "Catholic" thinking, Tom McMahon, has been busting for ages to have a go at what he sees as the "outmoded views" of the editor of Catholica, Brian Coyne, on "Heaven, Hell, Purgatory and all that 'stuff'". Well, we've given him a page to "let rip" and we're also pleased to see Tom joining the pages of Catholica on a more regular basis as a commentator. (The editor reserves the right to come back in this ongoing debate about all this eschatological "stuff" and the ultimate meaning, purpose and objective of all this religion and faith business. Stay tuned for a vigorous, on-going discussion and we'd welcome your views on why we bother with all this belief in God and going to Church business.) [more]

Perspectives on Spirituality and Religion written by young people Pt III – Armen Gakavian Dr Armen Gakavian summarises his spiritual journey in this way: "I have had an Armenian Apostolic (Orthodox) upbringing, Catholic religious education at school, encounter with Jesus through a fundamentalist Baptist Church, involvement with various campus Christian groups, and encounters with radical Christian communities. At the 'end' (there is really no end) of this process, I am now what I would call 'evangelical'." His essay is illuminating not only of his own personal journey but seeks to provide commentary on why so many of his contemporaries are today distanced from the Church. [Editor's introduction][Ben's perspective][Phoebe's perspective][Armen's perspective]

Bishop Robinson's impression following his US Tour: "The American church has massive problems before it!" Bishop Geoffrey Robinson in his first comprehensive report since his return from a month-long lecture tour of the United States reflects on the tour, on the attempt by Cardinal Re in the Vatican to try and stop the tour, on the state of the Church in America following the abuse scandals, and on the statement put out under the name of the Australian Bishops... [more]

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!]

A picture is worth a thousand words... Please forgive our headline photo. In recent days a newspaper photographer caught Pope Benedict having a quiet drag. I've already drawn attention to that story in our forum last night suggesting that Benedict might yet become the patron saint of we addicts to nicotine (See: "Smokers get a patron saint" Post 13241). It is a picture that I have a strong feeling will get everyone's attention for the topic at hand in this lead commentary today. Vince Exley sent it in to us. He's been reading Gerald G May's book "Addiction and Grace" and Vince has given us this edited extract. While we do not receive any benefit from Harper Collins, the publishers of Gerald May's book, we hope the stretching of the laws of copyright, if that is indeed what we are doing, might induce a few people to go purchase Gerald May's book, or borrow it from their local library — both actions which would provide some compensation for Dr May. …Editor [more]

DEATH: it's meaning! Andrew Kania explores the meaning of death: "Existential questions are at the heart of all religious faith; yet without these being personally asked and answered, an individual's spirituality cannot progress beyond that of mere religious membership … the existential question clearly requires that we place our lives within the sad context of our own physical mortality in order to complete our soul's joyful journey to immortality." [more]

A matter requiring urgent investigation… It is with a heavy heart we break this disturbing news story centred on the Bethel Covenant Community in Perth. The allegations raised are serious and it is to be hoped that the relevant State and Canonical investigating authorities establish the truth or otherwise of the allegations as quickly as possible. [more]

Mahony bans Robinson & Vatican applies pressure too… The Cardinal Archbishop of Los Angeles, Roger Mahony, has written to Bishop Geoffrey Robinson denying him permission to speak on Church property in his territory and has endeavoured to urge Bishop Robinson to cancel his speaking tour in North America. Cardinal Mahony's letter also reveals that the Vatican has been endeavouring to apply pressure to Bishop Robinson to stop promoting his book. Catholica has received this news, and the text of Cardinal Mahony's letter via Robert Blair Kaiser and Frank Douglas. Mr Kaiser, who is the author of the controversial novel, "Cardinal Mahony", also responds. This news story has partly been triggered because Robert Kaiser is in the course of preparing a promotional trip to Australia for the Australian release of his book, "Cardinal Mahony" and he came across this sensational story in the course of preparing for his trip to our country. [more]

Catholica Editorial followed by an analysis of the Vatican Questionnaire used for the selection of Australian Bishops... A leaked secret Vatican Questionnaire used in the process of selection of new Bishops raises deeply disturbing questions about the future of Catholicism. In an editorial written by the editor of Catholica and a separate analysis of the Vatican Document by Dr Paul Collins we examine what this document reveals. [more]

Religion and Art Part II… In this commentary Peregrinus examines some of the tensions down through the ages between religion and art. He suggests this is a necessary preliminary to what he'll be discussing next week regarding the continuing tension in our own times between art and religion. [more]

12th Most Read Commentary in 2008… This is the first part of an extended interview with Adult Faith Educator, Michael Morwood, conducted on the eve of the tenth anniversary of his explusion from the priesthood. Today Michael possibly reaches a larger international audience than he ever did in the past through his lectures and books. In this extended interview we will be exploring his personal journey, the ideas in his new book "From Sand to Solid Ground", and general issues about his perspectives on spirituality and institutional religion today. This interview is part of ongoing series of interviews with Catholic leaders and thinkers. We will publish this interview with Michael in convenient 10 minute segments over coming Thursdays. Each segment is intended to provide good reflection material for members of Catholica on the days they are published. [more]

Who will lead us? In our third formal commentary for 2009, editor and publisher of Catholica Brian Coyne offers an overview of the challenge facing Catholicism in the world through the perspective of the particular challenges, and the opportunities, that characterise the Church in the "land down-under". [more]

Reasons for Hope! Tom McMahon offers a response to the editorial I posted last Saturday to open this year's series of commentaries. He opines: "Few will hear a cathedral pulpit's message — the internet is the only way for modern humankind to go." [more]

Let us encourage a spirit of hopefulness… In our first formal commentary for 2009, editor and publisher of Catholica Brian Coyne takes up a suggestion voiced to him by Dr Patrick Collins last Sunday that we ought endeavour to take on a spirit of hope and hopefulness for the year ahead. Catholicism at the moment still seems to be "going backwards" at a great rate of knots — it seems to becoming less and less relevant in the minds of more and more. This editorial argues how and why we ought to try and turn this around even if not for the sake of ourselves, for the sake of our children and grandchildren. [more]

Brian Coyne
Editor and Publisher