Will Maitland-Newcastle be a turning point for the Catholic Church in AU? (Main Forum)

by Brian Coyne , LINDEN, NSW, Tuesday, April 05, 2011, 11:39 (805 days ago)

EDITORIAL COMMENT:

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The feedback reaching me has been positive about this appointment to the extent that I am beginning to wonder if this might be some sort of turning point for the Catholic Church in Australia?

As I have written in recent weeks, the Catholic Church in this Great South Land of the Holy Spirit has so much potential, so much going for it, compared to almost any other national local Church in the world [LINK] and [LINK]. Thanks to the leadership of earlier generations of bishops, and lay people, thanks also to the generosity of the Australian people generally through their governments and the climate of religious tolerance characteristic of the national psyche, the Church in this country is actually in a very strong position in terms of the size of its workforce, the quality of its infrastructure, its financial condition and general stability. With good and far-sighted spiritual leaders Australia could become in a very short order of time an example to the whole world of a truly vibrant and pastoral Church again.

With just a few strategic appointments at the leadership level the climate of negativity associated with declining vocations and a leadership that "has lost touch" with the broad base of the baptised, our situation could be turned right around in just a few years to the point that the Church in this country could become some kind of light to the entire Catholic world. Ultimately the decision as to where things go rests with the Vatican and, in particular, the sort of advice the Apostolic Nuncio provides to the Vatican, as to what the needs of the Catholic people of Australia actually are. The Vatican, if it had its head screwed on correctly might see the Australian situation as a valuable "test case" or "example" if it is seriously interested in making the Church a respected and influential voice again in the world.

I thought the comments from the outgoing Bishop, Michael Malone, reported today in the Newcastle Herald are unlifting. I think a quality that does have to characterise the Catholic people and their Church and its leaders is always a spirit of humility. Michael Malone might feel tired and in some senses defeated but these words of this swan song hit "the right note". They display a sense of Christ-like humility and even the sense of defeat that Christ must have felt when his "mission" had seemingly been reduced to nothing through his trial and execution. Yet look what emerged out of that "greatest defeat ever in human history".

Bishop Malone said he had been preoccupied early on in his tenure with guarding the church's reputation.

"There was a time I was trying to protect the church from a bad reputation, and trying to reach out to victims," Bishop Malone said.

"I came to a decision that you can't have a foot in both camps."

Bishop Malone later became one of the most outspoken critics of sexual abuse cover-ups within the church, troubling some colleagues but winning praise from victims.

The 71-year-old acknowledged he was emotionally drained, disillusioned and ready for retirement for the past year, well before the official pension age for Catholic bishops of 75.

Bishop Malone will not cease to be a pastor in retirement, and said he would like spend time in outback Australia.

www.theherald.com.au/news/local/news/general/pope-names-new-bishop/2123672.aspx

Bill Wright who has been charged with starting the rebuilding of the Church in Maitland-Newcastle shattered by the sexual abuse scandal is not a man who has left a long trail of "getting his face in the paper" achievements. He is reputed to have been though a very pastoral man respected by the people whom he has been called to serve. He might well be one of those "low-profile" individuals who ends up as a very effective administrator and who can win back "the hearts of the people" not by too many grand gestures but by solid "on-the-ground" support to his people. He needs to respond to the spiritual and life aspirations of the broad flock he is called to lead and to cut out this soul- and spirit-destroying constant pandering to a sectional- and minority-voice within the Catholic Church that is fearful of the future, and depressingly fearful about the future for humanity.

There are a number of crucial leadership appointments coming up right across Australia that could well determine the future as to whether Catholicism in this country squanders its inheritance and ends up as an "irrelevant museum and remnant" or whether it does become some kind of light and example to the whole world. The appointment of Fr Bill Wright to lead the people of Maitland-Newcastle has a sign about it that the Nuncio has been quietly going around and listening to a lot of people, not just the wailing banshees in the flock and their leaders, and is trying to seek out leaders who can actually lead the Church in the unique circumstances the institution faces here in Australia.

Link to today's commentary from Dr Andrew Kania:
www.catholica.com.au/gc0/ak3/169_ak_050411.php