Letters

Office of Bishop (letter)

Fr Brendan T. Walters MSC

Contents - Nov 2002 - Buy a copy now Editorial: The essential role of saints in the Church - Michael Gilchrist Independent inquiry exonerates Archbishop George Pell - Peter Westmore News: The Church Around the World - AD2000 Father Fessio: real US crisis is 'spiritual abuse' - Karl Maurer Australian Bishops' 'complaints protocol' used to uphold orthodoxy - Richard Egan Opus Dei founder Josemaria Escriva canonised at Papal Mass in Rome - AD2000 Report Sydney Archdiocese courses on 'Catechism' - Fr John Flader Catholic schools: restoring a sense of sin - Br John Moylan CFC Australian apologist Raymond de Souza's successful overseas lecture tour - AD2000 Report Events: The Fellowship of St Arnou to hold function in Melbourne Letters: Media war declared (letter) - Fr M. Shadbolt PP Letters: Embryo experimentation (letter) - Brian A. Coman Letters: Radical feminism (letter) - Gordon Southern Letters: Brisbane Synod (letter) - J.F. Nolan Letters: Anglican Church (letter) - Fr James Grant SSC Letters: Office of Bishop (letter) - Fr Brendan T. Walters MSC Letters: Headline (letter) - Michael Starr Letters: Birth control (letter) - Kevin Tighe Letters: Insulting TV program (letter) - K.L. Hanrahan Letters: Tough teachings (letter) - Mrs Maureen Federico Letters: Offertory prayers (letter) - John Mulholland Letters: Exorcists (letter) - Monica J. Hart Letters: EWTN (letter) - Jacqueline Donohue Letters: Anonymity (letter) - Narelle Mullins Books: The New Faithful: Why Young Adults are Embracing Christian Orthodoxy - Michael Gilchrist (reviewer) Books: Scripture Diary 2003 Books: Bernard Of Clairvaux: Essential Writings - Michael Daniel (reviewer) Books: A Generation Betrayed: Deconstructing Catholic Education, by Eamonn Keane - John Young (reviewer) Books: Ideal Christmas Gifts from AD Books Reflection: St Maria Goretti's 'perfect Christian death' - Mary Kenny

I refer to your report in the October AD2000 entitled "Church teaching needs to be 're-examined'." Assuming the accuracy of the report, I write this response.

By applying words like "re-examining", "revisiting" or "re-articulating" to issues such as the ordination of women, celibacy, sexuality and homosexuality, Bishop Power has called into question traditional Catholic teaching. This is a dangerous and irresponsible thing for a bishop to do as it can weaken people's faith.

If you weaken people's faith in one area, every other area can have be open to question, with Catholics no longer certain as to the content of their faith. A bishop is supposed to confirm the people in the faith not weaken it by public dissent via speculative comments questioning Catholic moral, ecclesial and scriptural teachings.

But we take comfort in the knowledge that Jesus told Peter: "I have prayed for you Simon, that your faith may not fail"(Lk 21:21). The successor of Peter is our guarantee and because of Christ's prayer, a Pope has never officially taught that which offends our Catholic faith.

For Catholics who know this it probably doesn't matter much what Bishop Power says - they would ignore him anyway. But it is those Catholics ignorant of Jesus' prayer for Peter, who listen to the likes of Bishop Power and become confused and uncertain in their faith.

Bishop Power's statements contribute nothing to the store of good in the Kingdom, since they diminish the office of Bishop and weaken people's faith. If he is not prepared to accept Catholic teaching as it is, the least he could do is avoid burdening the rest of us with his uncertainties.

Catholics might be well advised to disregard everything Bishop Power may say from now on.

FR BRENDAN T. WALTERS MSC
Priest/Lawyer
Sacred Heart Monastery
Kensington, NSW