Letters

Destruction (letter)

John D. Pratt

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

The repulsion the world feels for the iconoclastic actions of Afghanistan's Taliban Government has been well expressed by the media.

How curious that nothing comparable has been expressed regarding the orgy of destruction of the sanctuaries of Catholic churches throughout the world following the supposed dictate of the Second Vatican Council. Bishops, priests and laity - gullible all - participated in this, continuing the program even today in places.

In Australia, alone, thousands of altars, statues and other icons, all purchased through the hard-earned benefactions of our grandparents and parents, have been destroyed or removed in a debacle which, for scale, compares with the example given by the later Tudors and Puritans in Britain.

JOHN D. PRATT
Kings Park, SA

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