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Saturday, 28 January 2012 A great start to the year: some fab conversations...  Dear Friends, My apologies for the lack of emails over January. I ended up deciding to have a good break this year albeit that much of it was also spent on our forum involved in the fascinating conversations we've been having in that place over recent weeks. Today is the 2000th day we've been "on air" and it is as good a time as any to recommence our normal publishing schedule. And what a place to start. In the last few days we've been having a cracker of a conversation on the forum about our changing beliefs. Catholica, as you probably appreciate, draws a more senior readership and from people who have long had any interest in matters spiritual and religious. It has tended not to just be a "Sunday thing" in their lives. Many are still in religious life, there are plenty who have left, and there are many who have raised families through to adulthood and later in life they have come to reflect back on all they were taught and believed at earlier phases in their lives. What they think and write today is often upsetting to bishops and the element who feel the wheels are falling of human civilisation. It's another serendiptous contribution to that contribution what Vince Exley offers as a lead commentary today. He actually wrote and submitted this to Catholica before the present conversation got underway on our forum searching for "New Ways to be Catholic". We boast that what we're trying to do here on Catholica is explore spirituality in adult ways. What Vince writes today definitely falls into that category. He also quotes Francis Brown in his his commentary. Both of these blokes are as old as Pope Benedict and they both bring much maturity to their thinking. I also urge any of you reading this email to spend time reflecting on the original string on Catholica which focuses on what some senior members still within the institutional ambit are thinking or, in the case of Sister Maureen Flood, were thinking before they left this life. At the rate we're going Benedict is shortly going to have to pronouce some anathema against all of us for what we're thinking these days but I commend to you the fascinating perspectives that are being aired on Catholica these days. This is an exploration of adult spirituality at its very best. Not trying to suck up to God or any bishops or religious "superiors" but a genuine search for meaning and the truth of what life is all about. Tomorrow (Sunday) I'll commence publishing the last chapter of Fr Peter Dresser's book searching for a Theology for the New Millennium and this present discussion — what Vince Exley writes today, and what has already been published on our forum — provide excellent preparation for that. Despite the lack of emails from me over January we have received a lot of new subscriptions over recent weeks and on behalf of our entire community I welcome you all to our conversation.
Wishing you a great day wherever you happen to be ... in life and in our world. Catholica |
