THE Catholic Leader helps to keep me in touch with what is happening in the Church in other parts of the world as well as continuing to educate me in the faith.
I know that many changes were foreshadowed by Vatican II and some of these are causing some heartache to some pre-Vatican II people.
The letters in the opinion page seem to reflect these views. Vatican II was much more than giving us the vernacular in the liturgies. It implies changes in our ways of teaching and preaching Christianity.
John Counihan put it forcefully in CL 20/1/02 when he said: ‘Changing the mindset of pre-Vatican II Catholics, nourished in the Catechism and preaching of the day, implies, not only an intellectual transformation, but a cultural one as well’.
Archbishop John Bathersby expressed some reservations that the transforming vision of Vatican II seemed to be giving way to a narrow vision of the Church (CL 7/10/01). Some of the letters on this page bear evidence of this.
It is encouraging to note that the Stafford parishioners’ first priority for the 2003 archdiocesan synod is adult faith education (CL 20/1/02). They also want encouragement for people to undertake more study and discussions about their faith. I am sure that a number of other synod groups are painfully aware of the great need for Christian education. Let us pray that we take up the challenge before it is too late.
A deeper understanding of ecumenism and the nature of evangelisation are topics that bear a lot of discussion on our part.
Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor had this to say, ‘Ecumenism was a long road, but a very fruitful one. The fact that as Christians we are united in this endeavour is of the greatest significance today’ (CL 20/1/02).
FAY CHAMBERLAIN Browns Plains, Qld
