During the conclave and the preceding Congress of Cardinals, as it was becoming clear that there was a widespread desire for extensive reform of the curia, I came across one observation that intrigued me. This noted the tradition that the…
Tag Archive for Second Vatican Council
The British “Call to Action”: Continuing the Process
One day last month, while the Catholic bishops of the world continued their synod in Rome to mark the 50th anniversary of Vatican II and the start of the year of faith, I joined something like 400 other English Catholics,…
“Theologians’ Revolt” – International Edition
The Catholic Spring has gone global, with the publication of a notable “Jubilee Declaration on Church Authority”, sponsored by a range of top Catholic theologians, from countries on all continents. That the institutional Catholic Church is in a state of…
A (Very British) Start of a “Priests’ Initiative” for England and Wales?
It started quietly in May, in very English fashion, with a simple letter to the Tablet signed by seven English priests, who issued a ”Call to Action”. This was followed on July 18th by a London meeting of English priests, continuing the…
Catholic “Truth”, or “Spiritual Reaganomics” ?
In the current climate of Vatican heretic hunting, and a refusal to countenance any discussion of opinions contrary to the official line, I found two pieces by Paul F Knitter to be useful. Knitter is currently a professor of theology at Union…
Religious Women, and Vatican Control: Some History
There has been such a torrent of worthwhile commentary on the Vatican’s attempt to exert control over America’s religious women, that I have made not attempt to keep up with it all (still less to report it). One piece that…
Sex and Catholics 3: Vatican II and Modern Specialists
Natural Law: Part 3 Vatican II and incorporating modern specialist expertise Part 1 dealt with the Natural Law. In Part 2 we considered the male and female perspectives of Natural Law and the Church’s teachings on sexual morality, and recent…
Bishop ponders reasons Americans leave Catholic church Bishop Howard Hubbard of Albany, N.Y., is the only U.S. bishop I know of who has explicitly taken into account the report of the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life that appeared…
Vatican II themes: The church as servant | A third major ecclesiological principle in the Second Vatican Council’s teaching is that the mission of the Church includes service to human needs in the social, economic, and political orders, as well…
Vatican II themes: The people of God | Who or what is the church? It is first and foremost people. It is also an institution. But it is primarily a community. The church is us. A second major ecclesiological principle…
