Saturday, 04 Jul 2009

Win a trip for 2 to Corinth!

Dear Friends,

Well, I suppose the good news of the week would have to have been the National E-Conference on St Paul sponsored jointly by the Broken Bay Institute and the Australian Catholic Bishops' Conference. You still have a couple of days to register as a participant and be eligible to go into the draw for the Trip for Two in the Footsteps of St Paul being kindly donated by Harvest Pilgrimages. That would have probably been incentive enough for many to participate but this really was a very successful initiative on the part of the bishops. You can still watch all the videos online at www.paul.vividas.com. The Broken Bay Institute has also set up five discussion forums on their website to encourage on-going discussion but so far that doesn't seem to have fired as well as the conference itself. That's an interesting development to watch as later in the year they are intending to make their discussion forums public. If Bishop David Walker and the rest of the Bishops, can hold their nerve on that one and encourage a truly open forum it could be a very positive development in institutional communications.

It's also been another good week on Catholica. Today's commentary is the second part of an essay by Fr Patrick Collins which both questions the direction in which Pope Benedict seems to be taking the liturgy and, in today's part, offers some alternative suggestions that Patrick believes might help get renewal back on track. Personally I think the chances of Benedict doing anything for the vast majority of Catholics in our part of the world are becoming dimmer by the day. He's determined to create his "smaller and purer brand of Catholicism". Have a look at what Dr Collins has to suggest and join the conversation letting the wider Church have the benefit of your feedback and opinions.
<Link to Part 2 of Patrick's commentary>
www.catholica.com.au/specials/MertonSpirituality/012_pwc_040709.php
<Link to Part 1 of Patrick's commentary>
www.catholica.com.au/specials/MertonSpirituality/011_pwc_030709.php

LATE NEWS – TOM McMAHON: Please keep Tom in your thoughts and prayers. I received a note from him early this morning saying he's suffered a stroke. Details are on the forum.

Wither Liturgical Reform & Renewal in 2009? Part 1 In this two-part commentary Dr Patrick Collins , who is a great apostle for the thinking of Thomas Merton, explores where the Church is heading in the area of liturgical renewal. Part 1 of the commentary looks at Merton's changing attitudes towards the liturgical reforms which were made at the Second Vatican Council and Dr Collins offers his own thoughts on where the present leadership seem to be now heading in this realm. In the second part, which we will publish tomorrow, Dr Collins, puts forward proposals which might form the basis for a way forward again at some point in the future when the present "reform of the reform" has driven everybody out of the pews except the remnant. <more>

Questioning the direction in which our leaders are taking us... One of the things that seems to characterise the community that has gathered here at Catholica is a collective memory of a time when there was excitement within Catholicism. We were fired up following the Second Vatican Council — re-invigorated and anxious to get out and share our excitement about what Jesus and our institution had to offer the world. That excitement and hope seems to have been dissipated by a leadership that is timid and trying to pacify only the insecure and those who see their faith as some security blanket of certitudes. Our present leader, Pope Benedict, speaks of a "smaller, purer Church". Today Dr Andrew Kania questions both the leadership and ourselves as to where we are going. Are we a Church trying to perpetually prove we are the only one's with access to Truth or should we see ourselves as the institution leading and encouraging the world in unearthing what the ultimate truths are? This is a powerful commentary coming from a writer often perceived to have a more conservative disposition. <more>

Tom's Apologia #1 A big topic over the coming year is going to be the subject of priesthood. Pope Benedict in part acknowledges this in calling for a Year of the Priest to try and rescue the tarnished image of priesthood. Others though are suggesting it is not time for any more pr exercises but for a frank re-examination of the entire notion of priesthood and what role the priest plays in modern society. Tom McMahon is one of them. Today he begins a new series. <more>

National E-Conference on St Paul... A quick email to remind you of the National Online Conference being conducted by the Broken Bay Institute today. I've been following the sessions and think they are superb — both as to their content (at least for a mature audience — not sure that this is enough to distract from all the infatuation and distraction that the death of Michael Jackson is causing in the world at the moment amongst young people though) and also as an innovative way to get "the Word" out there. <more>

18.2: Consolidation of Church and State! The history of Christianity is so fascinating — a struggle between the ambitions of humans and what we believe to be the guidance of the Divine. In this second and final part of Tom Lee's Chapter 18 we look further into the legacy of Constantine. It recounts the final severing of our links with our Jewish spiritual ancestors and Jerusalem. From now on the Jews would be excoriated in Christianity and we're still sorting that out in our own day. <more>

What's it all about, Alfie? (Mk 1057) A paragraph from a book by a married priest, a commentary from a Christian Brother, and a letter from a Marist Brother have provided the triggers for this Sunday Forum. In slightly different ways all three sources are reflections on this big question of "what's IT all about?" The 'IT' meaning 'my life' or 'our lives'. <more>

Best wishes for a great day wherever you happen to be ... in life or in our world — and special blessings to all our readers in the United States on this special day in your nation's history.

Brian Coyne
Editor and Publisher