250 :
28 Sep 2012

The difficulty in discussing our sexual development... Tom McMahon's commentary today explains the difficulty in discussing the clerical abuse issie. Not so much what has occurred but why it has occurred. As Tom writes: "There is no priest I know willing or able to share his story of maturity and growth." Perhaps it is challenge all people face in discussing in public their sexual development? [more]

249 :
21 Sep 2012

An essay on the Counter-Reformation... Tom McMahon has sent in a note of apology to say he's still working on his new series about clerical abuse based on The Boys of St Vincent video. He writes: "I am slow in getting the series underway as the material is massive and I am combing from it four major insights into the clerical mind. I'm enjoying. The following article was sent to me by my friend Ed, former New Jersey high school teacher of Jewish background and member of our Senior History Club." It is a solid but not lengthy article looking at the Catholic Counter-Reformation through the eyes of an American evangelical scholar, Michael Hines, who has an extensive site titled "Church History for the Masses". [more]

248 :
14 Sep 2012

Preparing for a new series... Tom McMahon's commentary is a "tidying up the desk" affair, or "clearing the decks" for a new series he hopes to begin next week examining the clerical abuse crisis. He explains that he has found the phenomenon of abuse difficult to discuss with his community over the past 35 years and ponders why that should be. [more]

247 :
07 Sep 2012

Martini's 'block buster' legacy... We've already had much discussion on the Catholica Forum about the significance of the passing of Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini SJ. He was a hero also to Tom McMahon and rather than writing too much himself today he draws our attention to three commentaries that have not been previously mentioned on Catholica. [more]

246 :
31 Aug 2012

THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK! Tom McMahon has written his own introduction today and implored the editor to hold his tongue and let the people speak. Tom himself doesn't make much comment but presents a news report and a blog comment on the nomination of a new Archbishop of San Francisco. The editor thinks Tom is a bloody optimist for believing that the people are going to defeat Darth Vader. The more likely scenario is the people are in the process of setting up their own (lower case 'c') empire and have ceased taking the slightest notice of what Darth Vader thinks he is doing! Dear Reader: what do you make of the significance of the appointment of Salvatore Cordileone as the new Archbishop of San Francisco? [more]

245 :
24 Aug 2012

We are living through the greatest shift ever in Christian thought! This week's commentary from Tom McMahon is a bit of a potpourri. It's part inspired by a visit from his grandchildren, a session with his local seniors' history club, reflecting on the landing of Curiosity on Mars and an interview with Dublin's Archbishop, Diarmuid Martin, on Sixty Minutes. It's perhaps best summed up by the words of Michael Morwood, Tom quotes, and which we have adapted as the headline for this commentary: "We are living through the greatest shift ever in Christian thought!" [more]

244 :
17 Aug 2012

Is the Phoenix dead or alive? In today's commentary from Tom McMahon in San Jose we find Bishop Geoffrey Robinson being quoted in a recent edition of the San Francisco Chronicle on the need for the Catholic Church to return to the drawing board on the entire meaning and moral rules about human sexuality. The earlier thrust of his commentary though is a reflection on the shape of the Phoenix that might arise from the present destruction going on in institutional Catholicism. [more]

243 :
03 Aug 2012

A renewed vision! My brother, Brendan Coyne, sent me an email yesterday from Nova Scotia where he has lived for forty years. He was trying to get his head around why I persist with Catholica. He wrote: "As far as the Catholic institution goes I don't know why you keep banging your head against the stone wall of the ramparts of this fossilized redundancy. Expectation of its changing can only create more opposition and a closing of the ranks. Brian, it is a dry well, a shriveled cadaver, barren land, it's dead, chewed the biscuit mate, rigy has set in, last gasp, feet in the air, there is no sustenance there. I see Catholica as a model, a template for a new spirituality, not a religion, free of confusing, contradictory and fear-inducing dogma." Tom McMahon writing from San José and nearly 25 years senior to Brendan might share many of his feelings reading between the lines of today's commentary. This is a big-canvas commentary on spirituality looking back over our religious heritage but also looking forward to what the future holds. This is global spirituality searching for an intelligent way forward. ...Brian Coyne, Editor [more]

242 :
27 Jul 2012

Women: the hope for the future! The Dysfunctional Catholic Family is desperately in need of a huge dose of healthy female input is the thrust of Tom McMahon's argument in today's lead commentary. His commentary points to a series of women who have been important influences in his own outlook towards life. He also points to developments in contemporary society where women are moving into positions of leadership that ought be emulated in the Roman institution. [more]

241 :
20 Jul 2012

The story of Dorothy and Tom's home-based Community of Jesus Our Brother... Tom McMahon continues his exploration of our "dysfunctional institution" with a focus on one woman, Dorothy Kjelstrom, now aged 80, who has been an inspiration to him in his local community for over 45 years. Tom sees women as this great "reserve army" the Roman Institution has failed to mobilise. [more]

240 :
11 Jul 2012

Plastic Religion: isn't it time we went back to the drawing board about women, sex and celibacy? Our Catholic Church hierarchs turn themselves inside out worrying about the incidence of abortion in the world. Do they ever stop to contemplate how their effort to keep the hands and minds of their celibate priesthood away from their dicks and "impure thoughts" has meant a massive abortion in human thinking about sexuality and leading their people, and the world, away from a more intelligent understanding of this powerful force that operates in all of our lives? Had this institution taken a more adult response to the entire issue of human sexuality, and treated women as equals and with dignity, not this 'plastic', a-sexual picture of womanhood our celibate hierarchs have endeavoured to brainwash all of humanity with, perhaps the world today would not have half the crisis it has in the number of people who resort to physical abortions? Tom McMahon's commentary today on our "dysfunctional institution" has a focus on how women have been treated and the roots of the dysfunction back in a flawed understanding of human sexuality. One wonders whether the "know alls" might ever apologise for this as well as ever apologizing for the sexual abuse of small children by the immature priests within their ranks? [more]

239 :
04 Jul 2012

There is Hope! Tom McMahon describes this commentary as "a two-part paper on my personal views of a dysfunctional institution and persons who are living within its boundaries". The news daily, wherever we happen to be in the world, suggests the dysfunction is becoming worse. Tom suggests there is hope though... [more]

238 :
26 Jun 2012

The mythological aspect of life and belief XVI. Is discussing the concept of "God" too difficult, or threatening? Tom McMahon suggests at the beginning of this commentary today that it might be. In some ways it might be argued that our theologies and understandings of the "divine" have been brain-washed into us over centuries. It's hard for all of us to let go of beliefs and concepts that we imbibed with our mother's milk, and our parents and grandparents in turn imbibed with their mother's milk. Discussion about such subjects can be unsettling to our psyche and sense of security. In this series Tom has endeavoured to explore some of the ancient foundations for the picture of God that have evolved down through the mists of time. Yet, The Mystery still remains. [more]

237 :
21 Jun 2012

"Perfect and Untouchable" You might at first wonder where in the dickens Tom McMahon is heading with today's commentary. Stick with him though as by the end of his argument you'll understand – but may, or may not, agree with him. Society puts before us many "images of perfection". So does the Church. What "models of perfection" will be of value in the world of tomorrow? [more]

236 :
18 Jun 2012

The mythological aspect of life and belief XVI. Tom McMahon's commentary today could almost have been tailor-made to blend in with the conversations of recent days started by Tony Lawless and Dr David Tacey's essay. Ultimately this essay by Tom McMahon is exploring the nature of God. Can we describe God only in terms of what God is not? Are all other attempts at describing God are some projection of ourselves and our hopes, desire, dreams and insecurities? Discuss amongst yourselves! [more]

235 :
13 Jun 2012

Christianity is Evolutionary... Tom McMahon wrote today's commentary 58 years after he was ordained as a Roman Catholic priest. He takes a look at how much has changed in those 58 years — 21,186 days — and how much Christianity has evolved over centuries. We still have much to learn. [more]

234 :
11 Jun 2012

The mythological aspect of life and belief XV Still on the search for God, Tom McMahon is still at home today and writing on the the funeral her recently attended for Monsignor James O'Malley. He opens a conversation that sits well with the one started by Sue in our forum last night about what it means to be a Catholic today? [more]

233 :
06 Jun 2012

A priest who was a bridge for the people of God... It's a "good priest story" today from Tom McMahon as he pays tribute to a band of priests ordained at the end of the Second World War who inspired him. It's also a tribute to their parents, especially their mothers. This commentary was sparked by Tom's attendance at the funeral of one of these priests, 93-year-young, Monsignor James O'Malley. [more]

232 :
01 Jun 2012

No Vietnam Wall for Laicized Priests For a long time ex-priests and failed seminarians were treated as non-persons — names to be excised from our collective imagination as failures. The situation is a little better today. There must be a lot of these people in the world. In his commentary today, partly triggered by the Memorial Day celebrations in the United States earlier this week, Tom McMahon ponders ponders why laicized priests do not deserve greater recognition? [more]

231 :
28 May 2012

The mythological aspect of life and belief XIV Tom McMahon has grounded his magic carpet this week in order to take stock of our bearings. He poses a series of questions to you the reader as to whether this series is helpful or where he should head with it next. He invites your responses in our forum. [more]

230 :
25 May 2012

What does it mean to be "a person"? Part 2 You will find Tom McMahon's commentary today fits easily with the series of commentaries by Dan Donovan over recent days. Tom's commentary today also has some focus on the Council of Trent and its legacy in the modern seminary system. Tom explores how the seminary system came about and what its purpose was – and still is in the eyes of some. What contribution does the seminary system make towards and understanding and development of mature personhood? [more]

229 :
21 May 2012

The mythological aspect of life and belief XIII Tom McMahon's magic carpet takes us sweeping back across the Atlantic today to the Aztec Civilisation of Central America. At the end of his commentary we pose the question: how much does this increasing study of other religions in society today threaten Catholic hegemony to be the only true religion? [more]

227 :
09 Apr 2012

What does it mean to be "a person"? Part 1 After reading this commentary from Tom McMahon you might well ask if the present problems institutional Catholicism is facing stem not so much from the requirement for celibacy in their priesthood and their incapacity to deal with the questions of human sexuality but the emasculation of personhood that being a priest has traditionally entailed? This is raw stuff and personal but it's not only a commentary for priests but for all of us. What does it actually mean to be "a person"? [more]

227 :
09 Apr 2012

The servant-priesthood model of Jesus... One of the questions and conversation topics constantly bubbling on Catholica is this question of the nature of priesthood. Many educated lay-people today question the role and type of priesthood we need in society and many still in, and departed from, formal roles as priests are mulling the question. Perhaps one of the few places where questions on this topic are not asked is in the upper realms of the hierarchy — perhaps out of a belief that they think they already know the answer, and it is an ancient answer. Tom McMahon is an advocate for a new, possibly very ancient model of priesthood — one modelled on none other than Jesus himself and his first followers rather than the triumphalism, formalism and legalism of a post-Constantinian Church. That's essentially the theme of today's commentary with links to many other articles that Tom points to as also pointing to a new conception of the role of priesthood in our age of technology. [more]

226 :
07 Apr 2012

The mythological aspect of life and belief XII Finally Tom McMahon's magic carpet ride through ancient mythology brings us to the Trevi Fountain. Apart from the humorous anecdote in this last paragraph of his own experience at the fountain in 1967 leading a group of 16 and 17 year olds, it's not so much a commentary on the Trevi Fountain but on the influence of the Roman Emperor Julian the Apostate on helping form the beliefs we hold today. [more]

225 :
02 May 2012

Pondering the process of redemption and rejuvenation... Tom McMahon in this commentary is a little more self-reflective wondering if he tests us, his readers, a little too much with the radical ideas he puts on the table for reflection? In answering his own question he concludes "no" and one suspects most of you might agree given the mounting evidence of dysfunction in the institutional Church. He ponders the process of redemption and rejuvenation as we continue the search for the authentic Jesus in our lives. [more]

224 :
29 Apr 2012

The mythological aspect of life and belief XI We're back on track in our magic carpet ride with Tom McMahon today. However he's decided to fly-over the Trevi Fountain in Roma and head straight to Istanbul or Constantinople on the track of where we Christians came up with the difficult notion of a Trinitarian God. [more]

223 :
25 Apr 2012

What comes after Christianity? The seeming disjointedness of Tom McMahon's magic carpet ride last Sunday in his mini-commentary [LINK] suddenly jumping to the site of the Titanic's sinking in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean is explained by this commentary that went missing from the previous Wednesday when Tom seemed to go AWOL. He was in fact back in San Jose attending a lecture by a Professor Thomas Sheehan entitled "What Comes After Christianity?". Tom McMahon took some notes during the lectures and shares them with us today. This will give you new perspectives on how Jesus thought of himself. [more]

222 :
22 Apr 2012

The mythological aspect of life and belief X Tom McMahon went AWOL during the week and it seems he returned from Roma where his last mini-commentary was based for a brief sojourn back home in San Jose, California. Today we find him on his magic carpet flying back to the Trevi Fountain in Rome but overflying the wreck of the Titanic which has been so much in the news in recent days because of the centenary of her sinking. [more]

221 :
15 Apr 2012

The mythological aspect of life and belief IX Tom McMahon takes us to Roma today. It's a city with much to tell us about the origins of religion, mythology and humankind's evolving understanding of the Divine. [more]

220 :
11 Apr 2012

It's a wonderful world... A bit of a break today as Tom McMahon gives us a shorter and very homely reflection in keeping with the Easter season. We all needs hugs in our lives and perhaps that is the chief lesson from this reflection. [more]

219 :
08 Apr 2012

The mythological aspect of life and belief VIII In his mini-commentary today, Tom McMahon remains in Ancient Greece, today at the Temple of Apollo in Delphi pondering what contributions the Greeks made to our pictures and ideas about divinity and the roles of the gods in human affairs. We see where symbols and ideas from this ancient time are embedded in modern life and thought today. [more]

218 :
05 Apr 2012

An increasingly marooned and isolated priesthood: Part 3... Here again is Tom McMahon's own introduction to this series: "This commentary is born of sources of information that I have experienced within the past week. I will combine five ideas as a continuation of the past commentaries on two forms of priesthood, Jesus servant type and 1500's liturgical Council of Trent sacramental priest. These new/old themes constitute a cultural revolution that never took place. In this series we will look at Fr. Bill Lenane's recent funeral; a review of Irish priest Eamonn Fitzgibbon's PAINTED INTO A CORNER, found in the October 2011 edition of The Furrow [LINK]; my reflection on Dr. John N Collins' THE FUTURE OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH – THE FUTURE OF THE PRIESTHOOD [LINK]; spotty re-reading of Hoge and Schoenher's text books; and a re-read of the Document on Priesthood from Vatican Two. All five are high energy considerations. All five co-mingle and will be worked into this forthcoming series. I intend to circulate these commentaries among local Roman clergy and peers of my seminary and priestly days, hoping for feedback." [more]

217 :
01 Apr 2012

The mythological aspect of life and belief VII In his mini-commentary today, Tom McMahon remains in Ancient Greece pondering what contributions the Greeks made to our pictures and ideas about divinity and the roles of the gods in human affairs. In so many ways the gods seem to be expressions of our human emotions: the idealised "perfect" human and the angry, vengeful, jealous or negative side of our psychology. [more]

216 :
28 Mar 2012

An increasingly marooned and isolated priesthood: Part 2... Here again is Tom McMahon's own introduction to this series: "This commentary is born of sources of information that I have experienced within the past week. I will combine five ideas as a continuation of the past commentaries on two forms of priesthood, Jesus servant type and 1500's liturgical Council of Trent sacramental priest. These new/old themes constitute a cultural revolution that never took place. In this series we will look at Fr. Bill Lenane's recent funeral; a review of Irish priest Eamonn Fitzgibbon's PAINTED INTO A CORNER, found in the October 2011 edition of The Furrow [LINK]; my reflection on Dr. John N Collins' THE FUTURE OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH – THE FUTURE OF THE PRIESTHOOD [LINK]; spotty re-reading of Hoge and Schoenher's text books; and a re-read of the Document on Priesthood from Vatican Two. All five are high energy considerations. All five co-mingle and will be worked into this forthcoming series. I intend to circulate these commentaries among local Roman clergy and peers of my seminary and priestly days, hoping for feedback." [more]

215 :
25 Mar 2012

The mythological aspect of life and belief VI In this mini-commentary today, Tom McMahon takes us on his virtual magic carpet ride to the Temples of the Acropolis in Ancient Greece. What part did they play in the evolution of religion? [more]

214 :
21 Mar 2012

An increasingly marooned and isolated priesthood: Part 2... Tom McMahon provides his own introduction to this new series: "This commentary is born of sources of information that I have experienced within the past week. I will combine five ideas as a continuation of the past commentaries on two forms of priesthood, Jesus servant type and 1500's liturgical Council of Trent sacramental priest. These new/old themes constitute a cultural revolution that never took place. In this series we will look at Fr. Bill Lenane's recent funeral; a review of Irish priest Eamonn Fitzgibbon's PAINTED INTO A CORNER, found in the October 2011 edition of The Furrow [LINK]; my reflection on Dr. John N Collins' THE FUTURE OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH – THE FUTURE OF THE PRIESTHOOD [LINK]; spotty re-reading of Hoge and Schoenher's text books; and a re-read of the Document on Priesthood from Vatican Two. All five are high energy considerations. All five co-mingle and will be worked into this forthcoming series. I intend to circulate these commentaries among local Roman clergy and peers of my seminary and priestly days, hoping for feedback." [more]

213 :
11 Mar 2012

The mythological aspect of life and belief V We've drawn attention on Catholica recently to a documentary series that's been screening on television in Australia in recent weeks called "The Code". Yesterday on the forum we viewed a beautiful animation on the Fibonacci Numbers [LINK]. In this mini-commentary today, Tom McMahon is also into the fascination with numbers — this time concerning their association with religion. [more]

212 :
07 Mar 2012

Two Models of Priesthood V Tom McMahon is in fine mettle today with this commentary which draws on the wisdom of a number of other writers who have been researching the changing nature of priesthood in recent decades. As he suggests in the commentary it is doubtful that those who presently control the institutional agenda are even aware of this research or the changing perceptions opening up in the wider community. [more]

211 :
29 Feb 2012

Two Models of Priesthood IV Tom McMahon in now what is an extended series looking at two models of priesthood today fills in another "hole" he felt was missing from his previous commentaries. The Council of Trent certainly went a long way to shaping the ideas we have about priesthood today — and the ideas that priests themselves have of their roles in society. Has the world moved past this model? Are collectively searching for a new understanding of the role of the priest in our contemporary world? [more]

210 :
26 Feb 2012

The mythological aspect of life and belief IV In this fourth part of a new series of mini-commentaries Tom McMahon takes us to the religious beliefs in Ancient Egypt. The essential issue he examines are religious notions that we also find much later in history in the Jesus' story. [more]

209 :
22 Feb 2012

Two Models of Priesthood III Over the last two Wednesday commentaries Tom McMahon has been looking at these two models of priesthood. Today was going to be some kind of conclusion but on reading back through his previous commentaries Tom felt there was a "hole" in what he'd written so today he gives what is effectively a chronological exposition as to how we got to the model of priesthood that seems favoured by the institutional leadership today. [more]

208 :
19 Feb 2012

The mythological aspect of life and belief III In this third part of a new series of mini-commentaries Tom McMahon takes us to Mount Olympus for an all-too brief look at the Ancient Greek Deities. Tom's commentary might be "mini" but the links we provide to National Geographic, Wikipedia and other sites could occupy your for days. Way back in the mists of human history what are the origins of this human need for gods? When humans first started thinking about gods, what were the images and ideas they had? [more]

207 :
15 Feb 2012

Two Models of Priesthood II From whence did these two models of priesthood emerge — the Trentan "liturgical/sacrament-dispensing priesthood"; and the Vatican II/First Century/Twentieth Century "Jesus' servant'priesthood"? That's essentially what Tom McMahon explores in this second part of this series. Today's commentary is also a useful refresher in some recent world, and ecclesial, history with plenty of fascinating links to further exploration in Wikipedia and other places. [more]

206 :
13 Feb 2012

The mythological aspect of life and belief II In this second in a new series of mini-commentaries Tom McMahon today invites us to think of the spiritual world view held by American Indians and Ancient Egyptians. His series is partly inspired by the National Geographic book, "Essential Visual History of World Mythology" and he begins today with a further explanation about what he hopes to achieve via this exploration. [more]

205 :
05 Feb 2012

The mythological aspect of life and belief I Tom McMahon has proposed a new series of mini-commentaries this year, which we propose to run on Sundays. Drawing from the National Geographic book, "Essential Visual History of World Mythology", Tom describes these commentaries as "an experiment that the little boy from 15th Street who happened to become a Catholic priest will offer weekly during the coming months of the year 2012. The issue of religion is humanly complex found in verbal traditions and written texts. Hopefully this series will shed light on the historical human adventure into the realm of the Divine Mystery. All information herein is offered in condensed form, allowing the reader to go into further investigation." [more]

204 :
01 Feb 2012

Two Models of Priesthood I By way of his own introduction Tom McMahon writes: The following was first written back at the beginning of January while I was unaware Brian was not going to publish any commentaries until February. I used January to read and in particular to study the entirety of Fr. Peter Dresser's GOD IS BIG, to clean up the mess in my "den of thieves" in preparation for the February visit of Marilyn and John Chuchman, to play with our grandchildren despite a torn left meniscus, and to touch up the following... [more]

203 :
28 Dec 2011

The question that confronts us all at some stage? Tom McMahon spent a couple of days iced in at his chalet at Soda Springs in the High Sierra Mountains. It led to him pondering how the family traditions centred around Christmas will be celebrated by future generations and also that big question we'll all face at some stage of our lives: "Have you used your life well?" [more]

202 :
21 Dec 2011

The Liberation of the Laity... A lot has changed in our human perspectives since Tom McMahon was ordained as a priest in 1954. In today's commentary he reflects on some of those changes — changes in the perception of the role of the priesthood and the role of the laity. He argues the rise of a more questioning and assertive laity continues to be a slow and patient endeavour. [more]

201 :
14 Dec 2011

Priestliness: what does it mean today? What do we mean by the term "priest" today? That's the question at the heart of what Tom McMahon explores in this commentary today. Has the meaning of priesthood changed down through time? When we use the term "priest" does it conjure up different images in the minds of different people? [more]