Fr. Bob’s Corner

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Just Google Sister Louise Akers and see the uproar. Sister is a believer in women’s ordination in the Catholic Church, as many men and women are in this time of complex, ongoing, fast paced change. I guess there is one way of dealing with these confusing and difficult times, and that is forbidding and punishing people who disagree with you. It doesn’t usually seem the responsible and compassionate way, and it is likely to result in backlash and demoralization. There are no easy answers when one is in leadership, but when one is confronted with one of the key issues in our modern church, it would appear that this method should only be used as a last resort for very serious situations. I really don’t think this situation qualifies, and if it does, I think millions of Catholics at nearly every level of leadership in the Church would need to be banned, removed, silenced. Here are the headlines in Lebanon Ohio’s  Western Star:

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Sometimes when I surf the various Catholic blogging sites, I am dismayed (even saddened) by the harsh critical words that Catholics use on one another. Living in a pluralistic society requires vigilance, if one hopes to remain true to one’s faith. But it seems that the pressure is just too much for some, and they turn to name calling, insults, and all types of derogation, as they strive for faithfulness. If we can’t be respectful of one another, what chance have we of witnessing to the world the Love of Christ? The planet we live on is very small, and the challenge we all face today is living together in love, forgiveness, and respect. This month America Magazine tackles this very issue. Although the article is written for and about the American Church, it still has relevancy in our Canadian context. The concluding paragraph is particularly relevant: 

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Few priests and many parishes are making Catholics pretty scared. Where is it all heading? Will my parish survive, and if it does, what will it be like?

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“If we are to live out the search for real hope in pluralistic, democratic societies, we need to recognise that not all people share our views or even our deepest convictions. Some people could be tempted to describe this as relativism but that would not be correct. We can recognise people’s differences without saying that our differences are unimportant. This is precisely why we need to have space in our societies for proper dialogue where nobody is prevented from expressing his or her convictions simply to conform to somebody’s idea of political correctness. True dialogue respects everybody’s integrity. Genuinely strong people have no fear of other people’s views, so they feel able to allow people of radically different convictions to speak freely. They are happy to hear what others have to say.” Read the full text

Here is a fantastic list of the public speeches and homilies that Pope Benedict gave on his 6 day visit to the United States.

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The National Catholic Register did a story on video as a means of evangelization:

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Fr. Andrew Greely the novelist-sociologist reflects on Christmas and ‘North American Secularism’. He has more hope and optimism than many! Below is a link to full article, and a short excerpt.

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TIME.com: TIME Magazine — October 23, 2006 Vol. 168 No. 17

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Hectic, anxious times right time to celebrate Christmas, priest says - Catholic Online

USCCB - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops - November 2006 Bishops’ Meeting (For those of you that might be interested in what the American bishops did at their November meeting.)

Zenit News Agency - The World Seen From Rome: “CORNWALL, Ontario, OCT. 20, 2006 (Zenit.org).- Bishops in their role as pastors and leaders are called to show courage, clarity and love, says the retired archbishop of Washington, D.C.Cardinal Theodore McCarrick said this Tuesday when commenting on ‘involvement in public life and the social teaching of the Church’ to the Canadian bishops’ conference, gathered for its plenary assembly in Cornwall. The assembly ends today. “

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CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Andrew Greeley :: Seeds of hope in history of violence

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U.S. bishops approve ‘truly important’ liturgy translation - Catholic Online

U.S. Bishops to Vote on New Translation of Mass

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Catholic Blog Directory

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Cover story — Survey of U.S. Catholics: American Catholics from John Paul II to Benedict XVI

Sr. Joan: Reflective thoughts on the world we live in.

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