Who are the cardinals and bishops responsible to?

Dear Friends,

The extract from Robert Blair Kaiser's novel we bring you today cuts to the heart of the conflict facing contemporary Catholicism.

• Is the "chain of command" for bishops and cardinals directed up through Rome and the Pope to the Almighty?
• Or is it more correctly perceived that they are responsible through their people to the Almighty?
• Does God speak exclusively down through His Holiness and the Vatican and the bishops and cardinals are messengers and emissaries for the word that comes from "on high" via that route?
• Or does God speak to humankind through all of humankind and the role of the bishops and cardinals is merely as facilitators in helping us (humankind) discern what our Creator-God is saying?

Wouldn't it be absolutely wonderful to see someone in a high place in the Vatican come out authoritatively and straight-forwardly attempt to answer those four simple questions? Hell will freeze over before it happens so, in the meantime, entertain yourself with Kaiser's novel and imagine what Roman Catholicism could be (with decent episcopal leadership who HAVE actually thought through the sort of questions I've posed above).
<Link to today's excerpt from Kaiser's novel, "Cardinal Mahony">
<www.catholica.com.au/gc3/rbk/013_rbk_141109.php>

Congratulating the Ukrainian Catholics of Australia Something a little different by way of a commentary today — and something pretty personal for our regular commentator, Dr Andrew Kania. As regular readers would have worked out a long time ago, Andrew is very passionate about his Ukrainian Catholic heritage, not to mention his Polish heritage as well. Last weekend he was able to celebrate this in a special way with the launch of a book his father, Vladimir, has written — in Ukrainian — documenting the history of the Ukrainian Catholics in Western Australia. His book is part of a series of wider celebrations the Ukrainian Catholics in Oceania have been having in recent years of their presence in this Great South Land of the Holy Spirit. Their presence here was initially sparked by the migrations out of Europe that occurred in the wake of the Second World War and the persecution of Catholics behind the Iron Curtain. For our lead commentary today we re-publish a short article Dr Kania wrote for the Ukrainian community in Perth as part of their celebrations last weekend. We also re-publish a longer dot-point history of Ukrainian Catholicism in Australia which we have taken from the Ukrainian Catholic Church's website which will be of interest to many readers of Catholica in broadening their appreciation of the diversity of Catholicism. <more>

A 'must read' commentary from Fr Tom Doyle… Today (13 Nov) is the start of Child Abuse Prevention Week and to draw attention to that we re-publish an abridged version of what is probably the hardest-edged commentary we've yet published on Catholica. It is from an address Fr Tom Doyle gave to the annual gathering of SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests) in Chicago on 13 July 2008 (and which we first published on Catholica on 11th August). The paper might be of particular interest to readers of Catholica for two reasons: Firstly, it is one of the most comprehensive discussions you're likely to find anywhere on the steps that are necessary to bring the maximum possible healing to victims of abuse. Allied to that what Fr Doyle has to say might provide valuable insights for any person who is dealing with the effects of abuse, either as a victim or a person endeavouring to provide support to victims. Secondly, the necessary discussion on the nature of priesthood and the nature of the Church Tom Doyle engages in provides a wealth a valuable reflections that dovetail in exceedingly well with the on-going discussion we've been having on priesthood. While Fr Doyle largely raises these issues in the negative context of what went wrong, when viewed in a positive light they also shed light on what needs to be done to bring about a more effective priesthood that can better minister to the needs ot people today. The commentary also contains a link to the full version of his paper (approx 11,000 words) <more>

Was the Church in Rome founded by a Woman? Dr Ian Elmer is being deliberately provocative with his headline — but for good reason as you'll discover as you follow his reasoning in this commentary which will be heartening to many. Like a biblical detective he's on the trail of endeavouring to understand who were the earliest founders of the Christian communities in Rome. <more>

The Psychology of Priesthood #19 Today Tom McMahon draws our attention to an interview the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople gave to Charlie Rose on American television last week. We are able to bring you a small segment which is available on You Tube. He also discusses the recent violence at Fort Hood, Texas before ending the commentary with a brief introduction to the next historical period he will be looking at in this series seeking to understand how the ideas we have of priesthood evolved over the centuries. Fascinating history and a fascinating commentary even if it provides little cause for hope — besides the interview with Patriarch Bartholomew — that we are going to see a rejuvenated Church responding to the real needs of the great majority in Western civilisation in the near future. <more>

A serious writer on spirituality and religion or an entertainer? Catholica editor, Brian Coyne, has spent the last couple of days absorbed in Dan Brown's latest thriller, The Lost Symbol. Not unexpectedly it's a great read but Brian asks if we should treat a writer like this primarily as an entertainer or is he someone who has an important contribution to make to the great discussions going on in society at the moment about the place and meaning of religion and spirituality in our lives? <more>

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

Brian Coyne
Editor and Publisher