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Tuesday, 01 May 2012 What if the Vatican disappeared tomorrow?  Dear Friends, Provocative commentary today: in our forum our recently "resurrected" member, Cazza — the poor bugger nearly carked it a few weeks ago but he's out of hospital now and firing on all 12 cylinders again — he asks what would happen if someone bombed the Vatican? Don't worry he's not proposing to incite violence but posing a hypothetical question: if the Vatican suddenly disappeared tomorrow would the Church survive? I've put up some serious questions for consideration in the forum arising out of the question Cazza poses. But our lead commentary today is where the really provocative commentary is to be found... Starting on Pentecost Sunday the Australian Bishops have proclaimed a "Year of Grace" and in October the Pope has procalimed we will begin an international "Year of Faith". These seem also linked in with a new push coming from the Vatican for Re-evangelization and New Evangelization. Coming up this month Garratt Publishing are sponsoring a series of workshops in Sydney and Melbourne on the New Evangelisation led by US speakers Br Louis DeThomasis FSC and Dr Phyllis Zagano and also featuring local speakers Fr Frank O'Loughlin and Sr Rosemary Lawson RSM. Catholica is happy to promote these events on behalf of Garratt Publishing (see disclosure statement at the end of today's commentary). Today's lead commentary is the opening chapter of Br Louis De Thomasis's book Flying in the Face of Tradition. What he argues here fits very well with the ongoing conversations we've been having on Catholica and provides an overview of what he intends opening up for exploration in his seminars in Melbourne and Sydney this month. Br Thomasis asks the question: "Is the Institutional Church Dying?" and what he writes is every bit as provocative as what you heard from Bishop Geoff Robinson on Catholica yesterday.
Wishing you a great day wherever you happen to be ... in life and in our world. Catholica |
