Warning, Warning!!
As the Robot used to say to Will Robinson...
This appeared in the parish bulletin on Sunday:
Okay, I think we can see where this is coming from. Unfortunately I can't go, because we have an important ecumenical meeting on that night.Working for a Renewed Priestly Ministry
PUBLIC FORUM
Sponsored by Catholics for Ministry and Catalyst for RenewalThe purpose of the Public Forum is to encourage the Australian Catholic Bishops to broaden the possibility for ministry in order to address the current crisis.
The second purpose is to support priests in praishes who are currently overburdened as they strive to provide Eucharistic and Pastoral Ministry.Date: Thursday 22nd November.
Venue: Camberwell Civic Centre.
Time: 8:00pm
Speakers - Dr. Paul Collins, Terry Curtin, Marilyn Hatton, Dr. Anne O'Brien.
But two questions: How are the Bishops of Australia supposed to "broaden the possibility for ministry"? What type of ministry are they talking about? The heading says "Working for a renewed priestly ministry". By "broaden" do they mean admitting married men? Women? Part-timers? Non-seminary training? Aside from the question whether it is licit or desirable to "broaden" the priestly ministry in these ways, I don't think there is much that the Bishops of Australia can do unilaterally apart from the universal Church. Of course, if lay ministry is the topic, then there are plenty of ways in which this can be "broadened"--but we don't need the bishops to do it. We can do it ourselves by starting where we are.
And what do them mean by "to support priests...currently overburdened"? Really, the answer to that is very simple. First, be a friend to your parish priest. Second, volunteer to help in the parish somehow. Third, encourage young single men to the vocation of priesthood (or, if you are a young single man, take up the calling yourself) so our "overburdened" priests will have some colleagues to call upon for real support.
I don't know why we need a meeting for this. But methinks I can guess.
posted by Schütz @ 8:54 pm
4 Comments
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4 Comments:
I wonder why they hadn't thought to invite retired Bishop Geoffrey Robinson. He certainly seems to be an up and coming hero of some dissenting Catholics. Not that his eminence has gone as far as some of his fans in the comments below have gone, but I am not surprised that his fans project their own aspirations on him:
http://www.eurekastreet.com.au/article.aspx?aeid=3413
For a quick look at what Bishop Robinson has to say, this interview might help:
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/religionreport/stories/2007/2017913.htm
I wonder if you couldn't possibly get them to change the ecumenical meeting date, or skip it this one time, in order to go to this and try to nip it in the bud. Or, if you could find someone to attend who could speak up and try to nip it in the bud. Weren't there people from the bishop's office who helped you into the church? Would they be concerned that this is happening?
Unfortunately it would be the people from the office of my bishop who would be leading it. But it sounded as if you were in a better situation.
I hope someone wakes these people up. At least they should know that it is absolutely useless to talk about women being priests, as this is an impossibility. If they talk about ending celibacy, well that isn't theologically unsound, but it isn't going to happen in the Latin rite any time soon, no matter what they say or do.
Susan Peterson
I don't know. On one hand I could go . . .but on the other hand, it clashes with "Heroes".
Either might provide some entertainment, but one of them just seems a bit too fantastical.
Sorry, an important 'ecumenical' meeting?
Forget schmoozing with ecumenism - let's get the Church in order!
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