006 :
14 Nov 2012

Priests can be abused also! In Australia we are familar with the abuse Bishop Bill Morris was subjected to by a hierarchy that has lost touch with common sense, common decency, justice and reality. Today Dr Paul Collins reviews a book which is essentially about the abuse of a priest friend of ours which has been written and published in fictionalised form by Dr Jane Anderson. We brought you the preface to the book some weeks ago [LINK] but today Paul Collins' review of the book sets it in the context of the events that have been causing major headlines across this nation in the last two or three days — and indeed been generating coverage internationally. As Dr Collins argues in his introduction "it will not be the civil law that reforms the Church; that is the task of committed, faithful Catholics"! [more]

005 :
02 Nov 2012

Fancy a bet on who will be the next Pope? Do you fancy a bet on who will be the next Pope? I haven't checked the betting agencies around the world but I bet some of them are already offering some odds. If you want to really be "in the know" though you couldn't get a better "form guide" than to study the 15,000 word analysis Dr Paul Collins has prepared for journalists and commentators around the world explaining how the election of Popes is conducted and who might be in the running as papabile for the next conclave. He's just published it on the Catholics for Ministry website and it's been drawing a lot of attention via our forum in the last 18 hours or so since I first drew attention to it. He also raises discussion about how much of a hand the Holy Spirit plays in the process. Do you happen to know Pope Benedict's view on that? Paul has dug out an insight into that and I've raised the subject in a lengthy post on the forum: "Does the Holy Spirit choose popes, guide the Church, or guide you?" ...Brian Coyne, Editor [The guide on the Catholics for Ministry website] | [the discussion in our forum]

004 :
27 Aug 2012

The Vatican II Journal of Yves Congar reviewed... In this review of Yves Congar's increasingly lauded "My Journal of the Council" Paul Collins writes: "Congar is without doubt one of the twentieth century's most important theologians and his influence on the Second Vatican Council's vision of the nature of the church is definitive." This is a book that will be of much interest to readers of Catholica both from the point of view of understanding where things ended up going off the rails with the Second Vatican Council and in helping discern the shape of the Phoenix that eventually arises out of the present catastrophe. [more]

003 :
22 Mar 2009

How do we provide moral support to our bishops? An interesting, invigorating discussion has emerged on the forum in the last day or so on the meaning of priesthood and ministry. Late last night, after a day in bed feeling as sick as a dog for a long period, I emerged fired up having been reading some of Paul Collins' thoughts on the same subject. I posted some of them in that discussion string. They were from the second last chapter of his book. I had already decided that a good Sunday Forum series, leading on from the discussion last week, might be to look at the questions Paul raises in the last chapter of his book "Does Australian Catholicism have a future?" They are questions that very much intersect with the discussions we've been having. To kick this discussion off — or a little further along — I reproduce here a small section from the last Chapter where Paul is querying the manner in which our ecclesial and spiritual leaders are appointed... [more]

002 :
28 Oct 2008

Catholica Editorial followed by an analysis of the Vatican Questionnaire used for the selection of Australian Bishops... A leaked secret Vatican Questionnaire used in the process of selection of new Bishops raises deeply disturbing questions about the future of Catholicism. In an editorial written by the editor of Catholica and a separate analysis of the Vatican Document by Dr Paul Collins we examine what this document reveals. [more]

001 :
31 Aug 2007

Providing moral support to the Australian bishops... Dr Paul Collins is one of the prime movers behind the petition to the Australian Catholic Bishops asking them to consider a number of proposals that might help address the shortage of priests in Australia. In this very candid and honest commentary Dr Collins argues that we are very fortunate in Australia in presently having some excellent, pastorally-minded bishops who are concerned at the crisis facing the Church in this country in being able to provide for the sacramental needs of the Australian Catholic community. In fact, he argues, the moderate, pastorally-minded bishops form a broad and decisive majority in the college of Australian bishops. He explains how the petition is seeking to elicit moral support from within the broad lay community in support of the bishops as they endeavour to address the significant challenges facing the Church in being able to provide ready access to the sacramental life of the Church in the future. [more]