Letters

Bishop Robinson

Fr Edward P. Evans

Contents - Oct 2007 - Buy a copy now Editorial: Australian Catholicism in the balance - Michael Gilchrist Catholic Life: Sydney's Pastoral Plan ready for implementation in 2008 - Michael Gilchrist News: The Church Around the World Events: Book Launch: Advancing the Culture of Death, by Rev Dr Peter Hung Tran More of the same: Retired Sydney bishop calls for a radical overhaul of the Catholic faith - Michael Gilchrist Queensland: Liturgy in Brisbane and the rights of the laity - Michael Apthorp Sacred space: Sydney seminar promotes improved church architecture and art - John O'Brien A Christian sceptic's challenge: why atheism has no answers - Babette Francis Sacred language: New US liturgy head endorses revised Missal translation Truth: And the Light shines in the darkness: the meaning of true ecumenism - Andrew Kania Protect Our Children: New organisation to tackle doctrinal and moral child abuse - Fr John O'Neill PP Letters: Bishop Robinson - Fr Edward P. Evans Letters: Moral standards - Don Gaffney Letters: More on Vatican II - Peter D. Howard Letters: Catholic education - June See Letters: Mass attendance - John Schmid Letters: Nonsense - Frank Bellet Letters: Teaching position available in France - Br John Moylan CFC Letters: St Therese Church Torquay demolition threat - Charles Haber Poetry: Mother to Son - Bruce Dawe Books: JOHN HENRY NEWMAN: In His Time - Tim Cannon (reviewer) Books: SPANISH ROOTS OF AMERICA - Tim Cannon (reviewer) Events: Cardinal Pell to celebrate Latin Mass - 3 November 2007 Books: Books available from AD Books Reflection: Archbishop Hickey on the Christian concept of marriage - Archbishop Barry Hickey

Bishop Geoffrey Robinson attacks the recent Popes on abuse. But like most of the liberal clergy he seems to have a double standard for he states that 'there is a notable and extraordinary absence of direction from the Popes' when a major matter arises.

He ignores the fact that when several Catholic lay people launched a campaign to gather information about sacramental abuses many of them were ejected from churches.

When a report on these was sent to Rome, there was a hue and cry, even from an Archbishop who condemned these lay people as 'spies' acting in an 'un-Australian way'.

Subsequently Pope John Paul II spoke strongly to the Australian Bishops during their ad limina visit about the disorders in their dioceses, giving them a list of 14 points that they were expected to correct. There was indignation and strong resentment. It was claimed that Rome is far away and Australians are better qualified to run their own affairs.

Bishop Robinson is convinced that the root cause of sexual disorders in the Church is celibacy. Yet there are thousands of these cases in Australia committed by people of all walks of life and religions, none of whom have the vow of celibacy.

Of the boys who used to enter the minor seminaries, 92 percent quit before ordination so there are relatively few priests today who went through these seminaries; and few of those ordained in recent decades have been under the age of 25.

In the meantime, the Church has adopted a policy of 'zero tolerance' towards any wayward clergy.

FR EDWARD P. EVANS
Chaplain to the German Community
Braddon, ACT

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 20 No 9 (October 2007), p. 14