Catholica: Email1455

Saturday, 31 Jul 2010

Rich fodder for personal growth and building a better world...

Dear Friends,

Especially for our weekly readers, could I point out that we have had one of the most invigorating weeks of discussion on Catholica we have ever had. The questions have been big, and deep, and the responses insightful and exciting. The constant sad thing is that all of us are imprisoned by the same set of bars — there are only 24 hours in each day to do all the things we need to do in life and devoting sufficient time to these discussions does take considerable input if we are derive anything out of them, or help bring about change in the institutions that can make a difference in wider society. Catholica is really working like I long hoped it would from our foundation. The lead commentaries are generating really wonderful and thoughtful discussions in our forums.

Today our lead commentary from Dr Ian Elmer deserve special mention because it represents another milestone for us, and for Ian. It is his 150th commentary for Catholica. "Why do we human beings invest so much energy in remembering past heroes and events from our history?" That question is the essentially what Dr Ian Elmer is exploring in today's commentary. The broad body of his commentary explores the central place taken by Abraham in the three great religions of the Book: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Ian ends his commentary though in a more contemporary setting asking how much of our contemporary faith is related to its roots and how our faith is forged by subsequent developments in knowledge and history. Rich fodder for contemplation in this commentary — but don't forget to at least glance through the other incisive commentaries and conversations we have published through this past week.

St Vincent de Paul Story: Particularly for readers overseas and in other States of Australia. The story about the problems besetting the St Vincent de Paul Society in New South Wales have been ramped up through two lengthy investigative pieces in the Sydney Morning Herald today by David Marr. This is also generating much thoughtful response in our forum which should be of interest way outside the confines of New South Wales. I've provided a link below to the discussion emerging in our forum and you will find links there to David Marr's story in the Herald.

<Dr Ian Elmer's commentary on "Remembering Abraham"...>
www.catholica.com.au/gc0/ie2/150_ie_310710.php

<SVdeP discussion and links to David Marr's investigative report in the SMH...>
www.catholica.com.au/forum/index.php?id=53390

Tom McMahon…

The Document on the Laity... Tom McMahon turns his attention to how the Second Vatican Council considered the laity in his series looking back on the Documents of Vatican II. He's going to have more to say in a subsequent commentary but he ends today by suggesting the document on the laity was "grossly inadequate and limp". Perhaps it is easier to pass a judgment like that today. At the time of the Council the document might have been viewed as a big leap forward from the clericalism that had been building up for centuries? That seemed to be the message Tom was conveying last week. <more>

Dr Brian Gleeson CP…

The Jewish World of Jesus – Part II A lengthy commentary today from Dr Brian Gleeson as he explores the Jewish world in which the historical Jesus lived. If you think the politics of the world in which we live is complicated spare a thought for Jesus and the politics of the world in which he found himself operating. This commentary sits with the parallel series of commentaries we are running by Vynette Holliday and should also be considered within the context of the interesting discussions opening up on our forum exploring the Jewishness of Jesus and the implications for our thinking today. The commentaries, and the forum discussions, might help open up to the intelligent lay reader a more nuanced way of interpreting what we read or hear in the Scriptural accounts of the life of Jesus. <more>

Vynette Holliday…

Jesus the Jew... Vynette Holliday today opens her substantive argument: "If the Church wishes to redeem itself and be included in the people of God, it must rebuild itself on the foundation of the Jewish apostles and the Jewish prophets, with the Jewish Jesus as the chief cornerstone." Does her argument hold weight that Christians down through history have lifted Jesus too far out of his Jewish context? <more>

Brian Coyne…

We are a Church in search of a re-vitalised leadership! Catholicism today is fast becoming just one amongst the thirty thousand or so churches that make a claim to be led by Jesus Christ. It is fast-losing any claim to primacy amongst the Christian churches. Catholica Editor, Brian Coyne, today explores what has gone wrong and what needs to be done if the institutional Catholic Church is to legitimately reclaim some sense of primacy amongst the Christian churches. <more>

Dawn Bowie…

Exploring the Abuse Scandal through the eyes of a Convert Dawn Bowie is an Attorney in Washington and a convert to Catholicism (as well as a long time member of the Catholica community). She sent this commentary in some months ago and the editor apologises that it slipped under the radar. As it's a reflection that might also lead readers off into an exploration of a lot of interesting YouTube clips it will be a useful commentary to leave up on Catholica for a few days while the editor takes a break. (Exploring the YouTube clips could keep you occupied for about 2 weeks in fact!) <more>

Wishing you a great day wherever you happen to be ... in life and in our world.

Brian Coyne
Editor and Publisher

Catholica
34 Martin Place, LINDEN NSW 2778, Australia
tel: +612 4753 1226
email: editor@catholica.com.au