150 :
13 Oct 2010

Revisiting some old colleagues Tom McMahon writes by way of introduction to his commentary today: "Lost in the revere of it all, let's continue our 1940's walk on the beautiful grounds of old St. Joseph's College aka THE LITTLE CITY OF GOD. You will meet some of my wholesome friends as we mosey down memory lane. Where was God?" Don't miss the links to the two obituaries buried in the article. [more]

149 :
06 Oct 2010

Rebel with a Cause! Tom McMahon has included with his commentary today a whole collection of photographs, some of which we've assembled into a sort of photo-essay at the end. They say a picture is worth a thousand words and these pictures certainly give insight into both the seminary environment that was endeavouring to form Tom and his mates, and possibly insight into the character of a man who was not going to be restrained by the docility and suppression of questions the system was designed to impose. In the photo above, Tom has a striking resemblance to James Dean. Was he "the rebel with a cause" in the Catholic seminary system? Or has the system become corrupted over the centuries into serving itself rather than the cause of Jesus? These are the sort of confronting questions raised by today's commentary. [more]

148 :
29 Sep 2010

Do we need to re-think priesthood from the ground up? Tom "Quixote" McMahon today confronts some of his windmills … and ponders at the end of it all if he'll have any friends left. In essence, the question Tom McMahon is asking us to ponder is whether the institutional idea of priesthood that has developed over the centuries any longer suits the needs of today? [more]

147 :
22 Sep 2010

Clericalism: the heart of the problem? Tom McMahon as Don Quixote? But this ain't about raging at windmills but at the culture of clericalism that has wrought so much destruction in the Catholic Church. Was the mindset encouraged by the 19th Century's Paul Cardinal Cullen at the heart of the problem? Today and next week Tom goes in search of some answers. [more]

146 :
15 Sep 2010

A reflection on a funeral for some young people... Tom McMahon has been busy in the past week with a couple of funerals and, he claims, "preoccupied with the people (laity) that witnessed the overload influence of Roman clergy". His commentary today is a "keeper" — it's in the form of a letter to a couple of the young people whom he met at the funeral of life-long Catholic and teacher, Tom Griffith. [more]

145 :
08 Sep 2010

Updating Jesus for the moral challenges of today... As society becomes more complex the moral challenges increase. Tom McMahon today explores some of the moral complexities society faces today, particularly young people. But where is religion today as a guiding wisdom? Have we updated Jesus to speak to the challenges of today? Tom ends by asking: "Is there anyone today capable of offering morals in such a complex field?" [more]

144 :
02 Sep 2010

Sex! Sex! Sex! In one sense this series by Tom McMahon may seem to be getting a long way removed from the documents of Vatican II. It's become a meandering series, over recent weeks dawdling to an extended look at the changed approach to the position of the laity, and the changes occurring in the thinking of the laity. Over the next three weeks his focus is on, wait for it, SEX! Women today, blokes next week and children the week after. How have society's attitudes to sex changed? Where is the institution placed in all this today? [more]

143 :
25 Aug 2010

The Church as "the People of God"... Vatican II brought a radical change to our understanding of Church as "the People of God". Tom McMahon's commentary today explores what this means. Do "the People of God" have much power, or say, in the present institution dominated by Rome? [more]

142 :
18 Aug 2010

The potential of the Laity... Tom McMahon's commentary today returns to a focus on the laity. Interest in the importance of the spiritual and moral side of life has not waned in society. If anything it has grown. Institutional religion no longer seems able to respond to what the broader population is looking for. Some still want to return to the old ways. Tom argues: "My church of old is collapsing yet Jesus' spirit lives on." [more]

141 :
13 Aug 2010

A Critique and Praise for Catholica... Tom McMahon has been away in the High Sierra Mountains for a few days reading back over some of the recent Catholica commentaries. Taking a break from his series on the Documents of Vatican II he offers us a critique on Catholica and some of the commentaries he's been pondering. Editor of Catholica, Brian Coyne, offers a separate response which you will find linked at the end of this page. [more]

140 :
04 Aug 2010

The Connection between Priests and Laity... Two principal themes stand out in Tom McMahon's reflection back on the Documents of Vatican II today: (i) A sense he has picked up that many priests feel abandoned by their institutional leaders; and (ii) that as the priesthood shrinks greater responsibility will fall to the laity. In a sense this is a reflection on the connection between priests and laity and how the majority of both have been abandoned by the institutional leaders. [more]

139 :
30 Jul 2010

The Document on the Laity... Tom McMahon turns his attention to how the Second Vatican Council considered the laity in his series looking back on the Documents of Vatican II. He's going to have more to say in a subsequent commentary but he ends today by suggesting the document on the laity was "grossly inadequate and limp". Perhaps it is easier to pass a judgment like that today. At the time of the Council the document might have been viewed as a big leap forward from the clericalism that had been building up for centuries? That seemed to be the message Tom was conveying last week. [more]

138 :
21 Jul 2010

Vatican II's empowerment of the Laity... Tom McMahon today begins to "cut into the meat" in this fourth part of his series on the The Documents of Vatican II. A large focus today is on the impact Yves Congar had on the Council and the empowerment given to the laity. [more]

137 :
14 Jul 2010

The impact of Vatican II on priests at the time... In the third part of his series on the The Documents of Vatican II Tom McMahon reflects on the impact the Second Vatican Council had on him, and his priest colleagues at the time of the Council. It created disquiet in the minds of hears of some — a disquiet we're still living with. For others it opened a whole new way of relating to Jesus. [more]

136 :
11 Jul 2010

How can the world solve inter-racial conflict? We interrupt our normal schedule to bring you this special commentary from Tom McMahon written in the wake of rioting that broke out in Oakland, California, following the trial of a white policeman who shot dead a colored man, Oscar Grant, on a train in January 2009. Tom's essay takes a deeper look at the racial tensions that continue to lurk just below the surface in American life. [more]

135 :
07 Jul 2010

The Documents of Vatican II—Part II Have there been bishops who have strongly influenced your life — in either positive or negative ways? In the second of his series on the The Documents of Vatican II Tom McMahon takes a look at four bishops who had a profound influence on his outlook in the light of what collectively all the bishops of the world discerned at the Second Vatican Council. [more]

134 :
30 Jun 2010

The Documents of Vatican II—Part I Tom McMahon begins a new series today. It's a retrospective on the The Documents of Vatican II. Not so much an historical analysis of the documents themselves as a reflection back on how they influenced his life and the lives of others around him. [more]

133 :
24 Jun 2010

A tribute to Jesus and his Beatitudes… Jesus: the original psychologist that's an image Tom McMahon presents for us today in this continuing reflection on the Beatitudes. The Beatitudes are part of the teaching Jesus presents to reduce stress in our lives. [more]

132 :
16 Jun 2010

Adjusting Jesus to modernity… By serendipity I was writing in the forum last night how we need to synthesise the Jesus story and experience through our "unfolding life story today" [LINK] and then along comes Tom McMahon with a commentary this morning about the need to adjust Jesus to modernity. I endeavoured to paint a picture of what an effective Church of the future might look like and at some stage I'd value Tom McMahon's perceptions on that from the journey he has walked. In the meantime, today Tom looks at how we need to synthesise the Sermon on the Mount — the Beatitudes — through the realities of the challenges we face today. Or should that be we need to synthesize the ralities and cahllenges of today through the insights Jesus gave us in the Beatitudes? ...Editor [more]

131 :
09 Jun 2010

A digression... Tom McMahon got a bit sidetracked somewhere between sitting down to write this week's commentary on the beatitudes and actually finished it. In his opening he apologises for that as you'll read. Most readers will forgive him as this turns into a fascinating commentary applicable in different ways to all of us, and the families we come from. It's essentially an analysis of that complexity of social forces that shape up individually and which also shape the institutions and types of societies we build. It's a sidetrack from the Beatitude, "Blessed are the Pure of Spirit", but perhaps not too much of a sidetrack. Enjoy! [more]

130 :
02 Jun 2010

The Beatitudes: Blessed are... Tom McMahon's commentary today includes a link to a photo essay on Tom's friend, retired Sacramento Bishop Francis Quinn, which is well-worth the visit for looking at the face of a truly pastoral bishop. Following Jesus is about living in relationship with others, not some game of trying to prove we have all the rules, or know all the rules, and the rest of society doesn't. How did dogma creep into Catholicism to replace the Beatitudes? [more]

129 :
26 May 2010

The Beatitudes: Blessed are... Tom McMahon begins his commentary today with a correction to last week's: "The interruption of last week's commentary with the announcement of Tom's fourth grandchild has the baby's name wrong. 'The naughty lady from shady lane who's got the world in a whirl' is ADRIANNE. See what happens when 81-year-old granddads are left out of the family communication system. Welcome Adrianne Phoenix McMahon! It's a great world with many human-made problems." This is a moving commentary from Tom exploring the first three of The Beatitudes... [more]

128 :
20 May 2010

Is there a way out of the whirlpool? Is there way out of this whirlpool of chaos that our ecclesial leaders have boxed the institution up in? Tom McMahon suggests today that there is if we can go back to the Beatitudes preached by Jesus. Do we have leaders who are capable of bringing that about though? [more]

127 :
13 May 2010

A dysfunctional institutional empire in a state of collapse Part IV... If there is a common theme running through Tom McMahon's commentary today it is an exploration of how our understanding of Jesus has changed. How did Jesus end up being placed on a pedestal removed from the reality of who he really was? Collectively, we seem to be on a quest to go back and rescue the real Jesus from the unreal expectations that have submerged him over the centuries. [more]

126 :
05 May 2010

A dysfunctional institutional empire in a state of collapse Part III... Tom McMahon today writes the introduction to his commentary: "In the midst of a deluge of information concerning clerical abuse I feel like a man being engulfed by the sewer waters of a shattered dam. I have a partially written response to bland defensive statements made by the Pope and Cardinal Levada, as well as healthy lay observations such as Australian George Ripon, Catholica's FORUM, and Norman D. Kinsor and more. I asked myself if I was being futile in adding to the rushing waters of information; I searched my files and send along an article I wrote eight years ago. As one who has sailed boats in San Francisco Bay I know the importance of nautical underpinning, a healthy keel being a much needed stabilizer. Have the foundation stone of old church become corrupted by money? Let me know what you think and if I was on target in 2002." ...Tom in San Jose, 03/05/10 [more]

125 :
28 Apr 2010

A dysfunctional institutional empire in a state of collapse Part II... The abuse scandal and the current crisis of the institution continue to generate news headlines and commentaries in the mainstream press. Tom McMahon today continues his own investigation of the headlines particularly as they relate to unfolding news in his part of the United States... [more]

124 :
23 Apr 2010

A dysfunctional institutional empire in a state of collapse... Tom McMahon today writes from within one of the dioceses that has been at the centre of the firestorm of public opinion engulfing Catholicism in recent weeks. The legacy of these two leaders who have endeavoured to roll back the wisdom discerned by the majority of the world's bishops assembled at the Second Vatican Council looks more and more tattered each day... [more]

123 :
14 Apr 2010

The Human Desire for Peace V... Today's commentary from Tom McMahon completes the series on humankind's search for peace amidst the violence that seems so rife in society. It was written before we began the series on Future Priest and in the immediate shadow of Easter. So often Christianity seems tied up with violence despite Christ standing as the ultimate model for humanity against violence. [more]

122 :
14 Apr 2010

A conversation on what sort of priesthood we want? Day Nine Today Tom McMahon attempts to bring our conversation of the last week to some kind of conclusion. It's a difficult task because this is in fact an on-going conversation. ...Editor [Today's thought-starter from Tom McMahon] | [Quick Index to the conversation on earlier days]

121 :
11 Apr 2010

A conversation on what sort of priesthood we want? Day Eight Tom McMahon has a fear our series might be ending in a whimper. I don't think so. Dr Andrew Kania has prepared a two-part commentary which I'll also publish later today looking at the current problems in the institution but offering both a positive and negative assessment of priesthood today. My own sense is that this conversation is far from over even if the particular conversation of the past eight days might be drawing to a close. ...Editor [Today's thought-starter from Tom McMahon] | [Quick Index to the conversation on earlier days]

120 :
10 Apr 2010

A conversation on what sort of priesthood we want? Day Seven Tom McMahon went searching in the library of his old seminary yesterday for a copy of Hans Küng's book "Why Priests?" and couldn't find it. He did find another book written in 1948 with the interesting title "The Mass of the Future". "Interesting" particularly given the date it was published. It will be interesting to hear more from Tom on that one. Perhaps the title of that book though might give us a theme for further discussion as we bring this series to a close. The thought of even thinking about a Mass of the Future would surely send those stuck in the past almost into apoplexy but given the looming crisis in the availability of priests for the rest of us it's perhaps an important question. Who will be the celebrants of the Mass in the future? ...Editor [Today's thought-starter from Tom McMahon] | [Quick Index to the conversation on earlier days]

119 :
09 Apr 2010

A conversation on what sort of priesthood we want? Day Six Do you think we could be hope-filled and optimistic enough to except a response to the invitation Tom McMahon extends today for bishops to become involved in a conversation like the one we are having? I am not holding my breath. I thought the recent Lenten Reflection series, and particularly the sit-down dinner at the end with representatives of the 'ordinary pew sitters' was an enormous step forward. In the present climate though the entire culture of the instituton militates against priests, theologians, lecturers and teachers and especially those higher in the ecclesial food chain venturing anywhere near 'open dialogue' with their people. It's almost inviting a 'report to Rome' or some higher authority by the temple police no matter what they say. The only place any of them feel free to say anything is on the websites that are sympathetic to the temple police. It's another of the many signs in the institution today that the rest of us can effectively "go to hell". I can't see any change in that until the culture is changed at the very top of the institution. That said, I do join with Tom in extending an open invitation to our bishops to participate at any time in what we're doing here on Catholica. The same goes for any person who occupies any position that carries some institutional authority, particularly those who are meant to be teachers and adult faith educators. (You do have to be brave folks. As we have seen on more than one or six occasions on Catholica you will get 'reported' and you may have to defend yourself. That, sadly, is just the lay of the land these days — and why our institution is in the pathetic and embarrassing mess that it is in. Could I suggest to our bishops: you need to become a little braver yourselves, gentlemen. The guy who is going to be judging your stewardship exam does not have the name Benedict Ratzinger — he doesn't have the name Tom McMahon or Brian Coyne either!) ...Editor [Today's thought-starter from Tom McMahon] | [Quick Index to the conversation on earlier days]

118 :
08 Apr 2010

A conversation on what sort of priesthood we want? Day Five Tom McMahon today suggests a shift in the conversation to consider the gender issue. What he suggests is not necessarily straightforward. Historically priesthood became very tied up with the male gender. Society today has moved in its outlook towards women — women themselves have moved, and so have men. But when we think of 'women priests' are they merely to be a female version of an understanding of priesthood that has lost its appeal in society, or which is searching for a fundamental re-definition of its role? Great territory for discussion here... [Today's thought-starter from Tom McMahon] | [Quick Index to the conversation on earlier days]

117 :
07 Apr 2010

A conversation on what sort of priesthood we want? Day Four Today our priesthood conversation almost seems as though it is being outrun by the news breaking all around the world in the secular and quality religious media at the moment. The crisis facing the leadership in Rome is deepening. In particular I draw your attention to the breath-taking story from Jason Berry being carried in National Catholic Reporter today and tomorrow [LINK: "Money paved way for Maciel's influence in the Vatican"]. To continue our conversation Tom McMahon's latest reflection seeks to aummarize the posts made by the rest of us since his last summary. [Today's thought-starter from Tom McMahon] | [Index page of the Forum where you can get an overview of all strings in the conversation]

116 :
06 Apr 2010

A conversation on what sort of priesthood we want? Day Three Tom McMahon begins today by urging the editor to be patient as the editor was lamenting with him yesterday that we could end up with a conversation like a big plate of spaghetti — a lot of interesting ideas but little cohesion bringing everything to some conclusion or consensus. The conversation is now certainly throwing up a plethora in ideas. Tom today attempts to pick some of the highlights out of what was thrown into the ring yesterday and makes a plea for others to come forward who, up until now, have been silent readers but not sharing their own thoughts. Some of course are constrained by employment considerations but please remember you can post under a pseudonym and your privacy will be respected. This community has been operating for a long time now and people soon pick up what level of experience and authority the various contributors bring to a conversation like this without anyone's privacy being impeded. [Today's thought-starter from Tom McMahon] | [Index page of the Forum where you can get an overview of all strings in the conversation]

115 :
05 Apr 2010

A conversation on what sort of priesthood we want? Day Two Because I'm working across something like a 14 hour time zone, and international date line, difference with Tom McMahon on this conversation on priesthood it might take a day or so to get our rhythm right in the timing of the thought-starter commentaries. That's probably a good thing at the moment because it's taken about 24 hours to get the conversation to start to fire. It is beginning to fire along nicely now although I'm still waiting for Tom's analysis as to how we should be proceed in some kind of ordered way. Also of interest people, particularly husband and wife team, Billy and Stephen, have been finding some wonderful YouTube reflections to post on the forum — one of which, a poem on Love by Kahlil Gibran I've now featured on the video channel. I've also posted on the forum some more thought-provoking material from theologian, Denis Edwards, on 'miracles' and how modern theologians are beging to think about how God acts in our lives and in the world. It's a rich feast at the moment. [Priesthood Conversation]

114 :
04 Apr 2010

A conversation on what sort of priesthood we want? Over the coming week we are suspending our normal lead commentaries to concentrate on a forum-based conversation on priesthood. The conversation is being facilitated by Tom McMahon in San Francisco who has written extensively on the question of priesthood on Catholica over the past few years. We are primarily though seeking input from yourselves — ordinary pewsitters, priests, former priests, young and old, anyone who might have something intelligent to say on the subject. To start the conversation today we seek your input on the objectives of the discussion and how we will tackle the conversation. [more]

113 :
28 Mar 2010

A fresh conversation on the priesthood of the future! The present crisis engulfing the Catholic Church is calling into question serious systemic failings in the priesthood, and in the episcopal leadership. The Editor of Catholica has suggested in the Catholica Forum that we conduct an extended conversation in our community about what sort of priesthood we believe will better serve the people in the future. We have decided to begin the conversation during Easter Week (i.e. next week commencing on Easter Sunday). The Editor of Catholica has invited Tom McMahon, who has a lifetime of experience as both a clerical priest and as a type of secular 'priest' offering counselling to many, to provide a thought-starter commentary each day and to act as the one who leads the conversation and keeps it on track. [more]

112 :
24 Mar 2010

The Human Desire for Peace IV... In today's lead commentary, Tom McMahon, examines the long infatuation humankind has had with violence with a view to better understanding the violence, and abuse of power, that has even come to be seen in the House of God. [more]

111 :
17 Mar 2010

The Human Desire for Peace III... In the midst of the current meltdown the institution seems to be going through, Tom McMahon, argues that there is life outside the institution. The institution and priesthood as we've known it for so long might be crumbling but Jesus is still with us. When we near the home run of our lives we begin to appreciate what is really important. [more]

110 :
10 Mar 2010

The Human Desire for Peace II... The new revelations in the news today of violence inflicted by high profile members of the Church — the disgraced head of the Legionaries of Christ [LINK] and the pope's own brother [LINK] — lends a particular poignancy to today's commentary from Tom McMahon. Where does this human propensity for violence come from? All of us, if we are honest with ourselves, have to deal with this trait seemingly embedded deep in human nature. We have to own up and deal with it institutionally as well as individually. [more]

109 :
03 Mar 2010

The Human Desire for Peace... Tom McMahon introduces his own commentary today with these words: "An American takes a hard look at the historical rise of people power, militarism, freedom, and the role of church and religion … part one of perhaps four on cultural clashes of violence and the human desire for peace." [more]

108 :
24 Feb 2010

The Four Great Freedoms... It was the editor, not Tom McMahon who got mixed up and mislaid a commentary last week. Here is the mislaid Part II of Tom's exploration of the lessons we draw out of the Renaissance. He argues one the greatest developments were the initiatives to respect the freedom of the individual. [more]

107 :
19 Feb 2010

Finding Jesus outside the wafer host... I think there must have been some communication breakdown between San Jose and Sydney during the week. I was expecting to publish part II of Tom McMahon's look at the Renaissance today but the only commentary I could find was this one. It's a quieter, more pensive commentary from Tom — a "Dear Diary?" reflection — finding Jesus outside the wafer host — the Supreme Power who plays peek-a-boo — some thoughts on the connection between militarism and religion. How many in the 86% would identify with this? ...Editor [more]

106 :
10 Feb 2010

Renaissance — Part I of III Tom McMahon today begins a three-part introduction to the Renaissance. He frames these questions as his introduction: As we move away from the Middle Ages we ask ... What values are with us today? What are we still using in the age of technology that had its roots in the 1200's? What are the clues from the 12th century that were the seeds of evolutionary and revolutionary homo sapiens on the move? [more]

105 :
03 Feb 2010

Reaching out to the Lapsi... There are now a lot of ex-Catholics and lapsi in the world—at least 30 million of them in the United States alone. Tom McMahon would like to begin the year by saying hello to all of them. Obviously the cost of doing that would be prohibitively expensive but we're making our small effort here through Catholica. We need a sense of hope though. Tom suggests that ultimately we find that hope in Jesus. We're a pilgrim people searching for a new understanding of Jesus no longer being provided by the institution — an understanding that better fits with all the other things we are learning about ourselves and our world. [more]

104 :
25 Dec 2009

A Christmas Reflection... To bring our commentaries for 2009 to a close it is a pleasure this Christmas Day morning to welcome Tom McMahon back to the keyboard. In a whimiscal reflection, Tom, traces the origins of our Christmas traditions from their pagan origins, through good times and bad, to our present era where the transformation does not seem to have yet stopped. [more]

103 :
18 Nov 2009

The Psychology of Priesthood #20 Today's commentary from Tom McMahon will perhaps be a surprise to regular followers of his column. The assessment he makes of the Council of Trent is generous. He writes "Some claim that it took Vatican Two in 1965 to promulgate some of Trent's best thinking." [more]

102 :
11 Nov 2009

The Psychology of Priesthood #19 Today Tom McMahon draws our attention to an interview the Ecumenical Patriach of Constantinople gave to Charlie Rose on American television last week. We are able to bring you a small segment which is available on You Tube. He also discusses the recent violence at Fort Hood, Texas before ending the commentary with a brief introduction to the next historical period he will be looking at in this series seeking to understand how the ideas we have of priesthood evolved over the centuries. Fascinating history and a fascinating commentary even if it provides little cause for hope — besides the interview with Patriarch Bartholomew — that we are going to see a rejuvenated Church responding to the real needs of the great majority in Western civilisation in the near future. [more]

101 :
04 Nov 2009

The Psychology of Priesthood #18 The thrust of Tom McMahon's commentary can be summed up in this line: "Where do we find today the humble preacher from Nazareth, teaching the crowds the value of the beatitudes? Who teaches morals today?" [more]