005 :
03 May 2008

Our future is shaped by our commitments… This final extract from Dr Padovano's essay looks to the future. Again it is primarily addressed to an audience of former priests but the ideas Dr Padovano raises might usefully be taken on by all of us. Just assume for a moment that Vatican II had been implemented as the Church Fathers who were there guiding it had intended and its legacy hadn't been taken over by the small gaggle of clerics who have tried to thwart it at every turn, what alternative challenges would we have had to deal with? If by some miracle tomorrow the institution did pick up again the thread of Vatican II how would we cope? These are not entirely idle speculations. They might be the very real scenarios we face. [more]

004 :
01 May 2008

What is our legacy? When historians come to record the definitive history of the last half century of Catholicism what will their summation be? Dr Padovano today makes a confession on behalf of those many priests who perhaps got worried about what they were supporting and what the historians might write. Those of us who have been custodians of the legacy since Vatican II — and that basically includes all adults whether ordained or lay — might reflect on what sort of confession we might make… [more]

003 :
26 Apr 2008

Lessons from priests who have married… In this third extract from his essay Dr Padovano explores the position of former priests who retain a love for the Catholic Church but who felt called to leave active ministry to marry or exercise their gifts in different ways. What he has to say will be of interest to former priests in Australia — does what he write 'gel' with your experiences? Perhaps we can take that up in later commentaries or discussion in our forums? — but it will also be of interest to the wider readership of Catholica. Much of what he writes fits comfortably and usefully with our own on-going discussion on the changing understanding of priesthood today… [more]

002 :
21 Apr 2008

Reasons to be hope-filled… In this second extract from his detailed exploration of post-Vatican II and post-JPII Catholicism, Dr Anthony Padovano argues why there are good reasons for Vatican II Catholics to remained hopeful. [more]

001 :
19 Apr 2008

The Shattered Hopes of Vatican II… Interspersed with our regular commentaries over the coming two weeks we will be publishing excerpts from this lengthy, detailed and interesting analysis by Dr Anthony Padovano which looks at the progress of reform in the Catholic Church since the Second Vatican Council. Dr Padovano asks: "Indeed, there is despair among Church traditionalists. But why are liberals locked in despair?" [more]