The Catholic Leader Keeping Faith with You

SO this is what it has come to?

NO doubt Jim Dowling is sincere in his grief at the passing of his friend Bryan Law (Opinion, CL 14/4/13) and his belief in the benefits of pacifism as a philosophy.

MARRIAGE is both a personal and public institution for the good of society. It pre-dates all religious and state laws as a law of nature.

POPE Francis has given us the Holy Thursday foot-washing at a detention centre and his Easter message from the prophet Ezekiel that God's mercy can restore life to dry bones (CL 7/4/13, Centrepoint pages 9 and 10).

BY word and example, Pope Francis challenges Catholic parishes to be prayerful and Christ-centred, joyfully embrace the Cross of Christ; be poor parishes for the poor, make parish visitation and support for the poor and marginalised a high priority, be humble and compassionate; be heavily involved in social justice, centre parish leadership on service rather than power, communicate with truth, goodness and beauty; downplay pomp and ceremony, be custodians of Creation, act tenderly towards all God's creatures and live peacefully, simply and sustainably.

THE election of Jesuit Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio as pope has opened a new chapter in the life of the Church.

NOTWITHSTANDING St Thomas Aquinas' Natural Theology, demonstrating the five proofs for the existence of God, modern science gives enlightenment to the "cosmological argument".

FIRSTLY, this explanation is only my opinion as I am not claiming to be right.

RE: "New challenge awaits Fr Ken" (CL 20/1/13), Fr Ken Howell is essentially a priest in the old-fashioned sense of the word/Word - a liturgist meaning someone committed to the Word and the Bread and Wine being shared with and through the people; a Brisbane boy, of course; an amateur chorister; and a lovely guy all round.