Letters

Theology at ACU

Henk Verhoeven

Contents - May 2005 - Buy a copy now Editorial: Challenges facing John Paul II's successor Benedict XVI - Michael Gilchrist 'Santo Subito': the impact of John Paul II - Peter Westmore News: The Church Around the World Year of Eucharist: Religious education: Catholic youth have their say - Shannon Donahoo Catholic beliefs and practices: the challenge ahead for Australia - Michael Gilchrist The Da Vinci Code and the itching ears syndrome - John Young UK survey: why church pews are emptying St Patrick's Church, Soho Square, a spiritual oasis in London - Tess Livingstone Bioethics: IVF and embryonic stem cell research: the social and ethical issues - Kerrie Allen Letters: Appeal to the young - Justin Lynch Letters: God's Champion - Robert Garrett Letters: Theology at ACU - Henk Verhoeven Letters: Overseas priests - Jenny Bruty Letters: Priest shortage - Jeff Harvie Letters: Heroic virtue - Bob Denahy Letters: Catholic education - Geoff Storey Letters: Private revelations - Anne Boyce Letters: Sex before marriage - Dr Arnold Jago Letters: Society of St Pius X - Stephen McInerney Letters: Ecclesial unity - Meg Fennell Letters: Correcting pastoral blunders - Kevin McManus Letters: Catholic hymns - Dolores Lightbody Letters: Latin Mass Times in Hobart - Kevin Tighe Letters: Corpus Christi Procession in Brisbane - Josie Mangano Books: Sacred and Secular Scriptures / The Catholic Revival in English Literature - David Birch (reviewer) Books: A GENTLE JESUIT: Philip Caraman SJ, by June Rockett - George Russo (reviewer) Books: Remembering Pope John Paul II Reflection: Pope John Paul II and the redemptive power of suffering - Fr Paul Stuart

Perusing "Notes from a theology unit at ACU" (March AD2000), I at first assumed this referred to a summary of views espoused by "I do it my way" Catholics.

I was then astonished to learn that the litany of unorthodox opinions had been recorded by a student doing a series of lectures that formed part of a program leading to a Diploma of Religious Education at a Sydney campus of Australian Catholic University.

How can an institution, in which such academics are allowed to pass on their dissenting views to students, be seriously classified as Catholic?

An observation was made during one lecture (in the AD2000 report) that ACU must become secular or it will not survive. For the survival of souls, turning off ACU's life-support would be a better alternative.

HENK VERHOEVEN
Beacon Hill, NSW

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 18 No 4 (May 2005), p. 13