Letters

Forgotten teachings

Fr John Speekman

Contents - Nov 2001 - Buy a copy now Editorial: Synod of Oceania document imminent - 'Ecclesia in Oceania' - Peter Westmore Tenth Synod of Bishops: Bishops called to courageous witness to the Faith - AD2000 News: The Church Around the World A young Catholic's views on the state of the Church in Australia - James Connolly Brisbane liturgy director calls Vatican document "a betrayal" - Michael Gilchrist Pastoral letter: Taking up John Paul II's concerns about the Sacrament of Penance - Archbishop Barry J. Hickey Cardinal Ratzinger's latest book-interview - 'God and the World' - Zenit News Service Winter school: Evangelising in a "post-pagan" culture - Fr Anthony Mastroeni Opinion: Catholics before and after Vatican II: separating fact from myth - John Young Letters: Forgotten teachings - Fr John Speekman Letters: Catholic women - Errol P. Duke Letters: Immigration policy - George F. Simpson Letters: Classification Guidelines - Mrs Carol V. Phillips Letters: A response on the Creation of Man - Gerry Keane Letters: Catholic teaching - John Schmid Letters: St Thomas Aquinas - Valentine Gallagher Obituary: Lew Bennett R.I.P. Books: 'The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Jewish Origins of Christianity', Carsten Theide - Anthony Cappello (reviewer) 'Those Terrible Middle Ages', by Règine Pernoud - Christopher Quinn (reviewer) Books: My Dear Young Friends: Pope John Paul II Speaks to Teens on Life, Love, Courage - Mary-Jane Donnellan (reviewer) Books: 'Pardon And Peace: A Sinner's Guide to Confession', by Fr Francis Randolph - Christopher Quinn (reviewer) Tapes: Thomas More Center Brisbane Winter School, July 2001 Books: 'The Glenstal Book Of Prayer: A Benedictine Prayer Book - Mary-Jane Donnellan (reviewer) Books: 'STICKY THE DOG', by Robert Wheeler - Catherine Sheehan (reviewer) Bookstore: New Titles from AD Books Reflection: All Souls Day and a Christian response to bereavement - Fr Dennis W. Byrnes PP

I read with some interest this morning a report that Archbishop Pell has spoken at the Synod of Bishops in Rome on the "forgotten teachings" of Hell and Purgatory. Terrible things can happen when we "forget" Church teachings, because the next step is to deny them.

It seems to me that one of the most forgotten teachings today is on the obligation to assist at Sunday Mass and the necessity to confess deliberate failures in this regard in the Sacrament of Reconciliation before once again receiving Holy Communion.

Not only can we fail to mention this obligation in our catechesis but some of our liturgies actually encourage people to believe such a teaching no longer exists.

I have found it increasingly more difficult over the 17 years of my priesthood to continue the practice of class and full school Masses in Catholic secondary schools. Given the fact that the overwhelming majority of our secondary school students are no longer connected to the Church through the Sunday Eucharist, I believe it is no longer appropriate to celebrate a weekday Eucharist for them.

To continue to offer Holy Communion to young adults who have made a deliberate choice not to be in Eucharistic communion with the Church fatally compromises the whole notion of what it means for a Catholic to be "in communion" with Christ in the Church.

School Masses teach students they can receive the Lord's Body at any time whether they attend Sunday Mass or not. As a parish priest I find myself unwilling to confirm them in this error.

Given the large proportion of non-Catholic and non-practising children, I think it is more appropriate for our secondary schools to celebrate a Liturgy of the Word where now they celebrate the Eucharist.

FR JOHN SPEEKMAN
Morwell, Vic

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 14 No 10 (November 2001), p. 13