Letters: Move the world?

Sydney
10 August 2003

Catholic MPs told to oppose same-sex ‘marriage’ moves

Medical equipment shipped to islands

Honour a ‘bolt from the blue’

Blessing for the infertile

Your gifts send Susan to Lourdes

Landmark dates for Fr Joe, escapee

Bishops applaud refugee move

Liberal arts focus at Campion College

Faith, ecology network

Editorial: Tale of a tiger

Letters: Move the world?

Vocation Awareness Special: Are you doing what God’s calling you to?

Living ‘in the spirit of Mary’

Mercy at the heart of a vocation

Marie’s Song of Mercy

Children of the rock - John Paul II

Kim received faith ‘through God’s words’

People you meet are the ‘best thing’ for a priest

Divisions cast aside

Voice of youth: Downside to benefits of plurality

Tribute to the man in the bus shelter

Letters: Move the world?

With comments flying around today, are these words of GK Chesterton still valid?

“The Church cannot move with the times, simply because the times are not moving .... We do not want, as the newspapers say, a Church that will move

with the world. We want a Church that will move the world.” One wonders.

Geraldine Fennell
Kirrawee, NSW

SO MUCH GRACE, JOY

Marilyn Rodrigues’ beautiful article about Evelyn O’Brien (Language of love ‘is an act of self-giving’, CW 20/7) and natural family planning was most informative and enlightening and very beautifully worded.

It’s sad that we hear so little on this topic. I feel many Catholics are unaware of these methods and are missing out on so much grace, joy and fulfilment in their marriage due to lack of knowledge.

Carole Braddish
Newcastle, NSW

POKER MACHINES

Perhaps The end justifies the means should be the heading instead of Pokie tax threatens club aid to Church (CW 27/7).

The amount of money gambled on poker machines, particularly in NSW, is horrifying and brings misery to many families of gamblers. At the other end of the scale are thousands of Australians supporting institutions such as the St Vincent de Paul Society who help those addicted to gambling.

How does this fit in with our Catholic ethics? Is this the image the Catholic Church wishes to promote?

In my opinion, Catholic clubs should discontinue having poker machines.

Those who are concerned about the loss in revenue should spend their money directly in the form of donations!

It does not take gambling to enjoy oneself. The clubs should provide fun and entertainment without this means of money raising. Surely, it is not a social club’s duty to support charities or fill the coffers of governments.

And how do clubs elsewhere survive without poker machines?

Peter Meury
Budgewoi, NSW

FACING GOD

Fr John Crothers (Latin rite Mass is ‘exception not rule’, CW 22/6) doubts that the old Mass expresses the direction of the Church in the 21st century.

The average age of the clergy being around 62, there is every reason to hope it does point in a different direction.

Another concern of Fr Crothers is the priest with his back to the people as in the old Mass. He misses the point that in so standing the priest joined with the people in facing the Blessed Sacrament in the tabernacle.

Both were facing the God to whom they were praying. As Cardinal Ratzinger expresses it: “Looking at the priest has no importance. What matters is looking together at the Lord. It is not now (during Mass) a question of dialogue, but of common worship.”

Stuart J Blackwood
Ashgrove, Qld

HAPPY DAYS

I was interested to read Allan Madigan’s letter (Saturday dance, Letters CW 22/6) concerning dances at St Vincent’s Hall, Ashfield.

This brought back happy memories of 1956 when, as a young man, I was working in Sydney and was told about the Saturday night dances by a team mate at Western Suburbs Aussie Rules FC.

After attending my first dance there, I seldom went anywhere else on a Saturday night - two shillings (20c) to get in, great music and plenty of pretty girls. What more could a young fellow want? I can only echo Allan’s comment that those happy days “don’t come round much anymore”.

By the way, Allan, are you the same Allan Madigan who was postmaster at Wauchope some 25 years or more ago?

I’m a former postmaster myself and remember letters written to our journal by a person of that name.

Don Cameron
Merimbula, NSW

EMINENT SENSE

I agree with Bede Hickey, (Who understands Latin? Letters CW 6/7) regarding Fr Laurence Gresser, 34. It puzzles me and saddens me why someone so young would want a Latin Mass.

I am 52 and it makes eminent sense to me for the Mass to be in English, the language we normally speak and pray in. I agree with Bede Hickey’s comment that “pushing for a return to Latin is a gross insult to all the younger Catholics born after the Vatican Council”.

It is an insult, indeed, to all Australian Catholics who attend daily Mass and are involved in apostolic activities,

I have been a brother for more than 20 years. Mental prayer, the sacraments and apostolic action are the substance of Catholic Christian life, not the Latin Mass.

Br Bernard Cunningham OFM Cap
Wynnum, Qld

PRINCIPLES OF CHRIST’S LIFE

Strathfield MP Virginia Judge voted for the Crimes Amendment (Sexual Offences) Bill 2003 which lowered to 16 the age when young boys may be seduced by homosexual men.

Last year she told The Catholic Weekly (CW 2/6) she “tries to make decisions based on the principles of Christ’s life”.

But when it comes to the crunch she votes against Church teachings - against Christ’s attitudes to marriage and not corrupting the young.

Many people who previously voted for Virginia Judge because she supposedly stands for family values, etc, may not vote for her again.

Arnold Jago
Mildura, Vic