Bruce tops them all

Just to say "Bruce has done it again!" A magnificent article (“How Bono tops the bishops”, by Bruce Duncan, November 9) on what the Eucharist is really all about.

Tom Cassidy OP

I can't get enough of "Online Catholics." Bruce Duncan's "How Bono Tops the Bishops: Our Eucharistic celebration is hollow without concern for the poor," is an absolute masterpiece.

Thank you for your wonderful ministry!

TL Michael Auman, Capuchin
Capuchin Communications
Province of St. Joseph
Milwaukee WI USA

Thanks Bruce Duncan for your article on the hollowness of the Eucharistic without concern for those also 'at the table’.

I appreciated how you brought forth Fr Frank Moloney's deep understanding of present day need for a contemporary  theology,  together with your breadth of knowledge and experience of the multitudes of needy who 'come to the table'.

I always appreciated the 'gems' we were so generously given at the Mass at 'the Reds' each morning. Thank you for that.  

Here in Norwood South Australia, we are again grateful to the Society of Jesus for the richness of daily homilies. 

Thank you and greetings to your community in Kew.

Peter fcJ

Dear Fr. Duncan,

I read your article on the Eucharist with much interest. Thank you for bringing to our consciousness the need to not only be aware of the Lord in the Eucharist but also of our duty to share our bread with the hungry.

Many years ago I did a seminar on Indian Spirituality under the guidance of Father Amalavarpadas at a place called Mysore in India. On the last day of our seminar he asked us to go out for the whole morning and meet and talk to the poor in the neighbouring village.

On our return he conducted a reflection for us in the evening and one of the statements that he uttered on that occasion has always remained with me. He said, "if you cannot see God in the poor whom you have met this morning, it is most unlikely that you will be able to see God in the Eucharist".

The Brothers of Mother Teresa, during the divine praises at any Eucharistic benediction, say after the line, "Blessed be God in the most holy sacrament of the altar” – “blessed be God in the poorest of the poor”.

I hope the Eucharistic devotion will make us more and more conscious of our duty to be the body of Christ.

Thank you very much for your very helpful reflection on the Eucharist.

Yours in the Redeemer,

Fr.Xavier Sanjivi CSsR

In Brian Duncan's piece "How Bono Tops the Bishops," he makes the following claim:

"[T]he Council directed that tabernacles be set to the side of the Church." 

Can you please tell your readers where in the documents of Vatican II that this directive may be found?

Moreover, the author repeatedly indicates that prior to Aquinas' explanation of "transubstantiation," there was no belief in the real, physical presence of Christ in the Eucharist.  Where is the evidence for this? Doesn't this run contrary to the evidence we have dating back to the writings of Ignatius of Antioch, who was martyred early in the 2nd century? 

Any explanations, corrections, or historical corrections, if necessary, should be forthcoming immediately.

Sincerely,

Andrew Doran

Schools

Thank you Kevin Murphy (“Schools filling: churches emptying”, November 9) for raising these issues. I agree wholeheartedly with all you have written. As a teacher for many years and now working as a Pastoral Associate,  I wish we could change the model.  We live with HOPE

Marj Carroll

Your editorial & the articles "Passing on the rituals" and "Schools filling: churches empty..." all reflect a common theme - that many of the baptised are ecclesiological illiterates.

This is not an academic failure, as many of the contributors to our current situation have more degrees (both individually & collectively) than anytime in Church history.

What appears to be missing is the practical ability of the faithful to both practice and develop their faith in an ecclesial context – that is, tolerance of rules of exchange & differing preferences.

Many will attribute blame (and excuse themselves in the process) by pointing to an out of touch hierarchy, and/or a secular world that is based on individual rights.

Beyond the obvious example of meeting education requirements to matriculate, let me use two other examples.

I cannot excuse my lack of interest in Rugby League by pointing to its corporate structure or saying that its Rules of Play and Referees (and their decisions) have or continue to alienate me. I cannot say, with that attitude, that I support & enjoy the game. I can't say I appreciate it if I have never bothered to study the rules, play the game or attend games or training each weekend. (What about the women, a significant part of the supporter base - on this basis of inequity to play we should abandon professional Rugby League.)

Or what about the local band?

If I try to insist that I should be allowed to play my clarinet in the local brass band, and not only that, but also wish to play in a different key, at a different tempo - in fact a different tune altogether - and I also can't stand the musical director because he picks the wrong kind of music... and by the way, the usual rehearsal time is inconvenient, as are the scheduled performance locations & times and the uniform is so daggy...

Membership requires a certain level of understanding & compliance with the design & intent revealed by and within a lived tradition.

Minimalist liturgical design to the point of creating a 'bascauda sphaeristerium' (basket ball court) or liturgies reduced to  'missa fabilis folliculus' (beanbag mass) all can contribute to a mentality that reduces the faithfuls’ 'significatio' (sign of assent) to nothing more than a notion of being 'relevant & meaningful’. Of course the other danger is to be so ritualised as to be irrelevant & ineffectual in the wider world. So, because this is all too hard, I'll get back to you (the Church) when the balance has been achieved - an attitude of spiritual suicide!

Greg Briscoe-Hough

Fighting for justice

With due respect to Dave Smith (“Fighting for justice”, November 9) and the editor of course, both of whom have a personal interest in boxing, there are at least any number of other competitive and adrenalin pumping activities - other than one designed to beat the living daylights out of your opponent - that can harness and bring under control the themos of which Father Smith waxes so lyrical.

And another thing, you can take it as Gospel that in God's own country it's not the themos that completes the individual but the thermos.

Fred Jansohn

Rose Bay, NSW

Condoms and AIDS

As a Catholic AIDS agency, we very much applaud the news that the Cameroon's cardinal has reportedly approved the use of condoms as a protective measure against HIV/AIDS, provided the couples using them are married (“News Digest”, November 9).

(While we don't approve condom usage being limited to only married people with an HIV-infected spouse, we do applaud the step in the ideal direction of protection for all against a killer disease)

Cardinal Christian Wiyghan Tumi says "the use of condoms makes sense" if a partner in marriage is infected with HIV and that "possibly there can be a rethink" on the situation outside marriage. Now here's a Christian in more than name only! Certainly an example to his peers, or at least those with ears to hear and eyes to see.

Further supportive material can be found on the Catholic AIDS Ministry page in the About Us area of our website at www.aids.net.au

Brian Haill,

President,

The Australian AIDS Fund Inc.,

Frankston, Victoria.

Censorship?

Recently I submitted a letter to the editor of the Catholic Weekly. It was not published. It read as follows:

“It is interesting to see the question of married priests back on the agenda at the recent Synod of Bishops in Rome. The Catholic Church has had a long tradition of both celibate and married clergy. Each brings to the priestly role a different, yet complementary, expression of love and service. It would be a pity if the discussion about married and celibate priests should end up in an either/or debate.”

Out of interest I rang the Catholic Weekly and asked if there was any reason why the letter was not published. I was told that the Cardinal was not in favour of married priests and so there would be no discussion of the issue in the letters to the editor.

I have to say I find this type of thinking quite disturbing. It is one thing for the Catholic Weekly to present a particular model of Church through its news reports and articles, but it is quite another thing to selectively manipulate the letters to the editor – as would appear to be the case with my letter - to make it look like the majority of Catholics agree with it.

Fr John Crothers

Penshurst  NSW 

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