016 :
09 Apr 2012

An Open Letter to Pope Benedict... Professor Leonard Swidler was a former teaching colleague with Pope Benedict at the University of Tubingen. Professor Swidler, like many people today who were excited and energized by the Second Vatican Council, has become increasingly disturbed in recent times by the endeavours to turn back the insights and reforms of that Council. Headlines over Easter generated by Pope Benedict have driven Dr Swidler to address this open letter to his former colleague. [more]

015 :
17 May 2008

The theology of "miracles"? Our discussions and lead commentaries on Catholica these days serve as a catalyst not only for discussion on our own forums but often on other discussion boards and email lists in diverse parts of the world. One on-going discussion that has generated a lot of interest in various places has been the viewpoints various people have shared on miracles — and the wider question of how does this Mystery we try and describe with the word, God, interact with life, with us, and with Creation? Human beings have long been in awe of Creation, and of the intelligence and power of the Creator who thought it all up. Our increasing education and scientific insights have given us a changing appreciation of these big questions about the nature of God's relation with his Creation and the if and how God might interact with it all, and with us, given this changing understanding we have of how Creation itself is put together. Professor Len Swidler has been working on some of these questions in a new book and he recently shared with a group of us a small section from that book on this question of miracles. He has kindly given us permission to reproduce this section of the forthcoming book on Catholica. Professor Swidler taught theology at the University of Tübingen with Joseph Ratzinger and today he holds the Chair of Catholic Thought and Interreligious Dialogue at Temple University, Philadelphia. [more]

014 :
03 Jan 2008

A proposed Constitution for the Catholic Church… To conclude the series by Professor Leonard Swidler we publish the Appendix to his series of talks on Democracy in the Catholic Church: A proposed Constitution for the Catholic Church. [more]

013 :
02 Jan 2008

An ideal Parish Constitution analysed… This is the whole of final chapter of Professor Swidler's presentation to the Old St Mary's Parish in Philadelphia. In this final talk he examines in detail the elements that go into making an ideal constitution. As he explains, each constitution would be particular to the circumstances of each parish and when he uses the term "ideal" here he is analysing the constitutions that might emerge not in terms of "one size fits all" but the essential elements that each parish needs to consider in creating the ideal constitution for their particular circumstances. Tomorrow, to conclude this series, we will present A Proposed Constitution for the Entire Catholic Church which Dr Swidler presented as an Appendix to his original talks. As he suggests in today's paper, the parish constitution would ideally be understood within the context of some sort of global constitution as proposed by Pope Paul VI and earlier advocates of such a Constitution. [more]

012 :
31 Dec 2007

A ten-step program for developing a Parish Constitution… Today's commentary is the whole of Chapter V of Professor Swidler's presentation to the Old St Mary's Parish in Philadelphia. In it he outlines a ten-step program for setting up a democratic parish under a written constitution. [more]

011 :
24 Dec 2007

How the character of Catholicism developed in the United States… This will be a fascinating commentary for readers seeking an overview of the character of Catholicism in the United States. The bulk of the commentary is an examination as to how the national character of Catholicism in that country was formed. Professor Swidler concludes with the particular arguments he placed to the audience he was addressing at Old St Mary's Church in Philadephia urging the adoption of a constitution in their parish. [more]

010 :
17 Dec 2007

Creating a "Constitution" for your Parish… Don't be put off by the title. In many ways you'll find this one of the most interesting of all Professor Swidler's essays. It'll causes one of those pleasant feelings you have when you read something and end up exclaiming "well, I never know that before". Much of this is written from an American perspective but it's valuable history to know. [more]

009 :
10 Dec 2007

The five "Copernican turns" of Vatican II (conclusion)… Professor Swidler brings to a close this Chapter with its focus on the implications of Vatican II for Church governance, reform and our self-understanding of our relationship with God and with the other religions of the world. In the final section he provides a recap of what he has termed "the five Copernican Turns of Vatican II". [more]

008 :
03 Dec 2007

The five "Copernican turns" of Vatican II (cont'd)… Professor Len Swidler's focus today is possibly the gutsiest part of this Chapter. He looks at the reforms that the assembled wisdom of the Church's bishops sought to implement at the Second Vatican Council towards greater colleagiality and shared decision making. He also looks at the call for a different sort of relationship with the peoples of other faiths. [more]

007 :
26 Nov 2007

The five "Copernican turns" of Vatican II… Today we begin exploring the implications of Vatican II in Chapter Three of Professor Swidler's series of talks on the need for democratic governance in the Catholic Church. He argues that the Second Vatican Council introduced five "Copernican turns" that we need to re-discover. As this Chapter is packed with information and insight we will split it into three sections and run it over the coming three weeks. This week we look at the first three "Copernican turns". [more]

006 :
19 Nov 2007

Bishop John England – "Apostle to Democracy"! In today's commentary Professor Leonard Swidler's spends time in some detailed examination of the legacy of one of America's most far-sighted early bishops, John England. He suggests the man ought be canonised by popular acclaim. [more]

005 :
12 Nov 2007

Democracy in the early, Medieval and American Catholic Church… Today's commentary is the first half of the second chapter of Professor Leonard Swidler's series of talks on the history of democracy in the Catholic Church and how in the last 200 years — basically since the time of the French Revolution — it gradually got snuffed out by the centralists in the Roman administration. [more]

004 :
05 Nov 2007

Breaking apart the principles of democracy (cont'd)… In this commentary Dr Swidler continues his detailed examination of the eight basic principles of democracy that undergird his arguments. This leads in to his conclusion where he answers his opening question in this series of commentaries "Can there be a Spirituality of Democracy?" [more]

003 :
29 Oct 2007

Breaking apart the principles of democracy… Today Professor Swidler begins his examination in detail of the eight basic principles of democracy that undergird his arguments. Is democracy in the governance of the Church an idea that's been there since the very beginning of the Church? Is it not an issue to do with justice? Would it not help protect against the recent abuse of power we have witnessed via the Sexual Abuse Scandal cover-up by ecclesial leaders? [more]

002 :
22 Oct 2007

Can there be a spirituality of democracy? Today Professor Swidler gives a short introduction to a more detailed section of this series over the coming two weeks where he will examine the principles of Democracy that he outlines here… [more]

001 :
15 Oct 2007

An argument for greater democracy in the Catholic Church... Catholica Australia is pleased to be able to publish for the first time in English the text of an extensive series of lectures by Dr Leonard Swidler, Professor of Catholic Thought and Interreligious Dialogue at Temple University, Philadelphia, examining the place of democracy in the Catholic Church as a matter of theological principle, as a matter of simple justice, and as a mechanism for protection against the sort of scandals stemming from the abuse of power exercised by ecclesial leaders which we have witnessed in recent times. Today's commentary provides background and an introduction to the series… [more]