Saturday, 28 March 2009

Are these arguments persuasive?

Dear Friends,

Today's email is being sent out earlier than normal as I'm going down to the city today to attend the Catalyst for Renewal Symposium on Bishop Geoffrey Robinson's book that the Cardinal has ruled cannot be held on Church property. Do you think the banning from Church property might "stem the tide" out of the pews or bring the heathen back in their droves? Check out Catholica tomorrow and I'll try and give a report on the day's activities.

Meanwhile today I've written a third part to a series of posts I've placed on the forum in recent days exploring what the character of our church might look like given the changes going on in society. In the first and second parts I explored some of the questions as to why people have stopped participating. Today I present two arguments, one secular based the other spiritually based, as to how the situation might be turned around. The arguments today are really "sales pitches" that might be used as to why participation is important. I don't think that's going to be enough to reverse the decline on its own and so next week I hope to complete the series with some complimentary arguments as to how the Church might better present itself given both the challenges and opportunities presented by the social changes happening in society. Do you think these arguments I've presented might be more persuasive than banning Catholics from having a discussion in their own Church?
<Read today's lead commentary>
www.catholica.com.au/brianstake/050_bt_280309.php

Catholica Support Appeal 2009: For our weekly readers you will notice at the bottom of today's email that during the week we launched an appeal for various kinds of support to help take Catholica to the next level. I'd appreciate it if you could take the two minutes that it takes to listen to, or read that appeal.

A reflection on the call to priesthood: Here's something a little different to pull you up in your tracks for a while. Here on Catholica we've spent much time in the last year discussing the nature of priesthood, and how it is changing, and how it might need to change to better reflect the social and spiritual needs of our age. Today's essay was written last year by one of the yongest of our regular commentators, Daniel Gullotta, as part of his discernment process — which he assures us is on-going — as to whether he has the call to Anglican Orders. <more>

The ultimate success of Paul... Today's lead commentator, Dr Ian Elmer, is celebrating another small milestone in his own academic career, and emerging international prominence as a Pauline specialist, with the publication in the last week of his doctoral dissertation, Paul, Jerusalem and the Judaisers by the German publishing house, Mohr Siebeck. Congratulations from all of us Ian. Today's commentary — which takes a big picture overview of Paul's battles with Peter and his followers — is largely taken from one chapter in his new book and examines how, despite the constant criticism that Paul was subjected to ultimately it was his ecclesial vision which seems to have won and been the basis on which the world was eventually evangelised. <more>

WARNING: Don't read this commentary if you are afraid of having some of your most dearly-held and sacred beliefs challenged.

In search of the florist who sold the lillies to St Joseph! Tom McMahon is one commentator not afraid to confront the most cherished cliches, and the deepest held ideas contained in our mythologies and credal belief statements. To introduce today's commentary he writes: "We polar down Nazareth way, trying to find the florist shop that sold lilies to Joseph; we leave the Bronze Age, now using texts that circle the life of Jesus. We are on the trail of how ancients used the terms marriage and wife … the man in Joseph is out!" <more>

Lenten Reflection 3: What a timely Reflection this is by Dr Andrew Kania given the extraordinary media story in Australia at the moment of the internationally-honoured judge, Marcus Einfeld, who appeared on television on Monday to apologise for lying after being sentenced to jail for his error. What deep lessons the story of Marcus Einfeld has for all of us. There but for the grace of God walk I! This is a beautiful, if chilling, reflection by Dr Kania exploring that complex territory around truth, lies and bearing false witness. <more>

13.2: How we came by the title "Pope"… The early decades of the third century were a time of some debauchery in Rome, particularly under the boy-Emperor Elagabalus. Surprisingly he seems to have been nice to the Christians — perhaps because of the liberal outlook of the Bishop at the time, Callistus. But Callistus earned the wrath of the more hardliners including Hippolytus and Tertullian. Included in Tom Lee's commentary today is the story of how we came to have the term "pope". Originally Tertullian used it as a term of derision against the liberal policies adopted by Callistus. <more>

How do we provide moral support to our bishops? An interesting, invigorating discussion has emerged on the forum in the last day or so on the meaning of priesthood and ministry. Late last night, after a day in bed feeling as sick as a dog for a long period, I emerged fired up having been reading some of Paul Collins' thoughts on the same subject. I posted some of them in that discussion string. They were from the second last chapter of his book. I had already decided that a good Sunday Forum series, leading on from the discussion last week, might be to look at the questions Paul raises in the last chapter of his book "Does Australian Catholicism have a future?" They are questions that very much intersect with the discussions we've been having. To kick this discussion off - or a little further along - I reproduce here a small section from the last Chapter where Paul is querying the manner in which our ecclesial and spiritual leaders are appointed... <more>

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

Brian Coyne
Editor and Publisher