Letters

Future Church

Tom King

Contents - Nov 2010 - Buy a copy now Homily: Feast of All Saints: Benedict XVI's homily - Pope Benedict XVI Canonisation: St Mary of the Cross MacKillop: let the truth be told - Peter Westmore News: The Church Around the World Homosexuality: Courage and EnCourage Chicago Conference: holiness the key - Marie Mason Gendercide: how abortion targets baby girls - Peter Kavanagh Liturgy: Catholic funerals: Bishop Elliott explains Melbourne's guidelines - Bishop Peter J. Eliott Vocations: Priestly and religious vocations upsurge in the US - Tim Drake Saints: Blessed John Henry Newman: why he is worthy of canonisation - Frank Mobbs Ukrainian Catholics: Ukraine's University of the Catacombs - Andrew Kania Letters: Catholic funerals - George Simpson Letters: Benedict XVI in the UK - Arnold Jago Letters: Future Church - Tom King Letters: Vatican II: infallibility - John Young Letters: Infallibility criteria - James Bogle Letters: Definitive or not? - Fr Brian Harrison OS, STD Letters: Declarations - Frank Mobbs Letters: Abortion - Moya and Leo Morrissey Letters: Elephants in the room - Frank Bellet Books: Damien of Molokai: the Leper Saint, by Robert Louis Stevenson - Michael E. Daniel (reviewer) Books: HIS NAME IS MERCY, by Fr Ken Barker MGL - Archbishop Denis Hart (reviewer) Books: BLESSED JOHN  HENRY NEWMAN: A Richly Illustrated Portrait, by K.D. and D. Fso - Br Barry Coldrey (reviewer) Fighting Fund progress Books: Order books from www.freedompublishing.com.au Reflection: The woman in another place [Luke 4:38-39; Acts 12:12-17) - Babette Francis

The summary provided by Dr Frank Mobbs (July AD2000) relating to John Allen's recent book, The Future Church, with its predictions of what the Catholic Church might be like in 50 years' time, was informative and inspirational, in that one can so readily relate to problems evidenced today, with their likely potential for the future.

This edition of AD2000 was particularly relevant for our Buranda Latin Mass congregation, as it was the 80th birthday of our inspirational pastor and Jesuit, Father Gregory Jordan. Every positive identified by Dr Mobbs is manifest within Fr Jordan's stewardship, including the immaculately presented and trained altar servers whose ages range from 12 to 30 plus.

Saint Luke's Church is filled to capacity each Sunday, with large family groupings in evidence. This church has not been vandalised by the trendy reformers and while Christ permits our present Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, to serve in this life, others who are presiding over diminishing congregations and departures from traditional practice would be well advised to follow the example of this Good Shepherd and his core co-celebrants like Fr Jordan.

Thanking God for our 83-year-old Vicar of Christ.

TOM KING
Bray Park, Qld

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 23 No 10 (November 2010), p. 13