118 :
20 May 2013

Can the Church renew itself? Following our commentaries and the conversations on our forum from Arizona, Tim Schmaltz has sent us this commentary wondering if a New Pentecost is possible for forward-looking Christians? He senses "many progressive Christians are feeling in exile within their own traditions," and offers some thoughts as to what might be done to restore a sense of hope. He urges: "Let us create a new creed filled with living affirmations of faith about life, justice, community, worship, prayer, hope and the Reign of God in family, in work, and civic life." [more]

117 :
25 Apr 2013

The statistical trends re Catholic identity in Australia... Following Graham English's commentary yesterday [LINK] on "Catholic Identity", Peter Wilkinson sent through an article he wrote published in the Autumn issue of the Journal of the National Council of Priests of Australia, The Swag. This article examines the statistical history of how Catholic identity has been changing in Australia over the past century and more. He also examines some of the possible trends for the future. The picture is nothing to get excited about even on the raw statistics. When one takes into account actual participations rates (which Peter doesn't discuss in this article) the future would seem to be very bleak indeed. One wonders if any of the hierarchs care or do they just all accept this as some "act of God" and they are powerless to take any actions that might alter the picture? Or perhaps they simply don't understand statistics? Or is the problem this oath of fidelity they all make to the Pope and they place their trust in him entirely that he knows what God wants? [more]

116 :
28 Mar 2013

If things are going to change, it is up to you and me... Bill Morris, Emeritus Bishop of Toowoomba, Queensland from an address given for WATAC (Women and the Australian Church) given in the theatrette of the NSW Parliament on 26th March 2013. Ou lead commentary today is a 30 minute excerpt from Bishop Bill's address. [watch the video and join the discussion on our forum]

114-5 :
19 Mar 2013

An essay to bring joy to the most dispirited heart... The author of this wonderful commentary, Bill Marrin, was a seminarian in Rome at the time of the Second Vatican Council. He subsequently left the priesthood and became a psychologist. He was recently invited to speak at a local college. This essay is partly a painful look back at this own personal journey back to Rome recently but, more than that, an insightful look at the massive forces at work in the human psyche that both gave us the Second Vatican Council and then saw its Spirit nearly extinguished. Written before the recent news of the election of Papa Francisco, the two parts of this essay are actually very optimistic and sit very comfortably with the building excitement that the election of an Argentinian Jesuit to lead the Catholic Church appears to be bringing to many. [Part 1] | [Part 2]

113 :
07 Mar 2013

Can Ravasi play a Martini-like role in the Church? Our Rome-based commentator, Dr Paul Collins, in his latest report this morning [LINK] raises the possibility that, like at the Second Vatican Council, the non-Curial Cardinals are telling the Curial Cardinals to back off. Don't raise your hopes too high yet. Another Canberra-domiciled commentator, Fr John Ryan, in today's commentary cautiously suggests that Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi might offer hope as well as some kind of replacement for the late Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini. [more]

112 :
21 Feb 2013

An open letter to lay Catholics... Archbishop Philip Wilson recently described it as "the biggest crisis in the history of the Catholic Church in Australia". He was speaking of the clerical abuse crisis. Today a leading Australian lay Catholic, former diplomat, public servant and businessman, John Menadue, offers some suggestions as to what ordinary pew-sitters might do to help provide a resolution to this crisis. [more]

111 :
06 Feb 2013

Lent in C Minor... Lent begins in a week's time — an earlier start this year. Fr Paul McCabe offers some suggestions that might help us enter with the spirit of the season that might very much suit Catholica readers seeking more mature forms of engagement. Instead of giving up lollies, chocolate, beer or wine, how about this for something different — and engaging for your neurons. [more]

110 :
18 Dec 2012

A call for a UN-sponsored Commission into Clerical Child Abuse Yesterday we published a call by retired NYC lawyer, Jerry Slevin for a National Commission in the United States into Clerical Child Abuse. Melbourne lawyer, Angela Sdrinis, argues in today's opinion piece that there needs to be an International Commission sponsored by the United Nations, particularly in view of the threat of the problem being "exported" to Developing Nations that do not yet have the more sophisticated law enforcement and investigation agencies that we now have in Western nations. [more]

109 :
29 Nov 2012

Catholicism BC and AC – Before and After Colour! Liturgy is primarily a sensate experience. Our lead commentator today, an octagenarian priest from Omaha, William John Fitgerald or "Fr Fitz", shares some challenging ideas as to why Catholic liturgies today have fallen behind in their ability to capture the imagination of the masses. In the days before colour, or 'color' for our American friends, Catholic liturgies didn't have much sensate competition. Today all of life has become brightly coloured and sensate. The problem is not that Catholic liturgies haven't improved. It is that they have much more to compete against today and the Church is no longer recruiting skilled liturgists and pastors who can communicate to the human heart. There are some challenging ideas in this commentary for readers placed at almost all points on the spectrum of ecclesial politics. This should lead to a lively conversation. [more]

108 :
22 Nov 2012

Recapturing our Lost Youth... Nostalgia for the past seems a deeply embedded trait in the human psyche. The older we get, it seems, the more we pine for the excitement of of our youthful period in life. Retired Christian Brother, Tom Draney, has found himself pondering this phenomenon in relation to this seeming deep drive in Pope Benedict to want to drag us all back to the excitement of the Church Triumphant in the Middle Ages. Does our spiritual future reside in the past? Or in the future? Do we find the Divine in the past? Or in the future? A shorter commentary today but questions worth pondering. [more]

107 :
20 Nov 2012

The traits of an "ideal Catholic"? The question posed by Catholica editor, Brian Coyne on Sunday — "What is your picture of the 'ideal Catholic'?" [LINK] — generated a fair amount of interest. Angus MacIntyre around the other side of the world was provoked enough to write a thoughtful commentary in response. Do you know anyone you would classify as an "ideal Catholic", or an "ideal person"? [more]

106 :
15 Nov 2012

A proposal from Canada to set up a diocesan task force root-out the cover-up Angus MacIntyre from Antigonish in Nova Scotia returns today with another reflection on the institutional church's efforts to re-invent itself in the wake of the clerical abuse crises. Angus's focus in this article is on the problem of the covering up of abuse rather than the abuse itself. After a brief introduction, what he presents here is a Draft Terms of Reference he's submitted to his bishop to establish a task force to root out cover-ups. He suggests it might form the basis for discussion in other places in the world. [more]

105 :
07 Nov 2012

Aristocrat Trappings Alive and Well in the Church Today we bring you a couple of excerpts from a new book by Stephen L. Boehrer which examines some of the history of Catholicism, and its current woes, in a more light-hearted way. This introduction from his earlier commentary on Catholica gives some of the flavour os what to expect: Steve Boehrer was in Rome the day Angelo Roncali was elected Pope John XXIII. He stood in the Piazza San Pietro, watched the white smoke puffs, and felt hope for his Church. He was 25 years old then, a veteran of the United States Navy, anxious to finish his seminary studies and be ordained. He was subsequently ordained, earned a doctorate in theology, became chancellor of a diocese, but later, like many, came "to see the light" and left the priesthood. Like many of us here at Catholica he really did buy the forward-looking vision of Vatican II discerned by the majority of the Bishops of the world. He has been aghast at the steady march of the minority, reactionary element amongst the hierarchy who have left no stone unturned to undo the vision discerned by the majority of bishops at Vatican II to turn the clock back. [more]

104 :
05 Nov 2012

Can the Church make a more intelligent contribution to the public debate on marriage? After attending a recent address given by Bishop Anthony Fisher OP to the St Thomas More Forum in Canberra, Fr John Ryan, found himself questioning whether the present stance being taken by the institution in the debates on marriage going on publicly is achieving much good. In this commentary he offers a brief synopsis to an alternative approach that might achieve much greater good for society, and for the respect in which the institution is held as a credible contributor to public debate. [more]

103 :
17 Oct 2012

The Church Left Me! Tom Poelker from St Louis, Missouri, sent in this commentary a few days ago that probably expresses the feelings of many elders who are attacted to Catholica. Around the other side of the world, we sit here pondering on the reflections sent to us and simply wonder if these hierarchs and prelates who have been responsible for pushing so many of the faithful away from the altar ever stop for a single micro-second and reflect on what sort of "reward" they are going to earn for this enormous emptying of the pews? One wonders how cock sure some people can be of their "eternal certitudes"? [more]

102 :
16 Oct 2012

What is the future for Religious Life? Tom Draney cfc, a retired Christian Brother in Florida, has sent us this response to the current conversations on Catholica about the nature of Religious Brotherhood. What he writes also intersects with the much longer discussion we've been having in this place about the changing role of the priesthood. He extends that into the realm of pondering the future nature of religious communities. In introducing his essay he writes: This foray into the future of religious life, the life style of the congregations for Brothers and Sisters, is meant only to stimulate some thought and dialogue on the subject. The thoughts are only one man's opinion, and they are not intended to include groups of clerics or monastic communities. [more]

102 :
25 Sep 2012

A story of unedifying behaviour in a Catholic parish... Jane Anderson is one of the quieter contributors to the conversations on Catholica. You might also recall she is a Research Fellow at the University of Western Australia currently engaged in research into what she describes as "progressive Catholicism". In a sense the sort of people who are attracted to Catholica – those who have been becoming disenchanted with the institutional agenda, and searching for more meaningful alternatives – are the focus of her research interest. Today's commentary though is a bit more personal. She has just self-published a book, "Souled Out" which describes in fictionalised form some of her own disillusion with the Church not over the treatment of herself but the treatment of a Vatican II-minded priest whom she, and many others had (and continue to have), enormous respect for. So often, it seems, the journey to disillusion begins with personal experience of how individuals are treated. This commentary is taken from the preface to Jane's book and explains the background to this sad story that helps chronicle why the Church is turning so many people away. [more]