Letters

Sydney appointment (letter)

Frank Bellet

Contents - May 2001 - Buy a copy now Editorial: A crucial appointment to Sydney - Michael Gilchrist Vatican signals continuation of reform process - AD2000 Report AD2000 Online - Michael Gilchrist 'Systematic instruction in the faith' program to be launched in July - Bishop Luc Matthys News: The Church Around the World The Church in Germany: John Paul II expresses serious concerns - Catholic World News New WA Catholic schools document stresses orthodoxy US professor defends papal teaching on universities - Charles E. Rice Why John Henry Newman converted to Catholicism - Michael Davies A Melbourne artist's labour of love - Michael Gilchrist Letters: Different Church (letter) - Frank Smith Letters: Vocation question (letter) - Msgr Richard Schuler PP Letters: Racism (letter) - Helen Daniel Letters: Sydney appointment (letter) - Frank Bellet Letters: Paul Collins (letter) - Arnold Jago (Dr) Letters: Vatican II ambiguities (1) (letter) - George F. Simpson Letters: Vatican II ambiguities (2) (letter) - Fr G.H. Duggan SM Letters: Eucharistic Congress (letter) - Basil Lane Letters: Elizabeth Anscombe (letter) - Edward Clarke Letters: 'Courage' (letter) - John Dodwell Letters: Objectionable cover (letter) - Fr Edward P. Evans Letters: Altar? (letter) - D.I. Davies Letters: Destruction (letter) - John D. Pratt Letters: Queensland Bishops (letter) - Dr Tim Coyle Letters: African reader (letter) - Fr Stephen B. Muchemwa Letters: Scripture truth (letter) - Mary Beaumont Letters: Enlightening book (letter) - Br Con Moloney CFC Books: 'Becoming Fire' by Fr Ken Barker mgl - Peter Westmore (reviewer) Books: 'Great Christian Prayers' by Stephen Redmond SJ - Peter Westmore (reviewer) Books: 'He's Risen' by Phelim McGowan SJ - Mary-Jane Donnellan (reviewer) Books: 'Prayers From The Heart: for the Feasts of the Year', Joanna Bogle - Mary-Jane Donnellan (reviewer) Books: 'A Vacation With The Lord' by Fr Thomas H. Green SJ - Catherine Sheehan (reviewer) Books: Stations Of The Cross (CD), Perth Catholic Productions - Colleen McGuiness-Howard (reviewer) Poetry: The Ballad of Antichrist - Andrew Huntley Reflection: 'Blessed are the poor in spirit' - Fr Ian Falconer SJ

Archbishop Pell is to be congratulated on his Sydney appointment. But I knew that come newstime, the TV stations would get out their whips to round up the usual suspects, who would warn anyone who cared or dared to listen, that Dr Pell's appointment would spell doom to the Church in Sydney and beyond. "People would leave in droves," the suspects claimed.

If it had the opposite effect in Melbourne, why would it be so different in Sydney?

The so-called "liberals" forever talk about the lack of vocations in their seminaries, which are like ghost towns. However, in 1996, when Archbishop Pell made some drastic changes at the Corpus Christi seminary in Melbourne, there were 12 seminarians for the Archdiocese. Now, less than five years later, there are 26. The seminary screens candidates carefully (as they should) and I understand about a third of applicants are accepted.

These are anything but doom and gloom figures for the Archbishop.

FRANK BELLETT
Petrie, Qld

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 14 No 4 (May 2001), p. 13