Letters

New evangelisation

Retired Queensland Priest

Contents - Sep 2010 - Buy a copy now Appeal: 2010 Fighting Fund launched - Peter Westmore Britain prepares for Benedict XVI's visit - Joanna Bogle News: The Church Around the World Academia: Challenging times for Catholic universities - Babette Francis University: Another successful Australian Catholic Students Conference - Br Barry Coldrey Ecclesial movements in the life of the Church - Bishop Julian Porteous Cinema: The Waiting City - An Australian film of religious significance - M.A. Casey (reviewer) Foundations of Faith: Do people of faith lack reason? - Frank Mobbs Natural Family Planning: Kyrgyzstan leads the way - Paula Flynn Vocations: The story of a grandmother and her love of the priesthood - Andrew Kania Letters: New evangelisation - Retired Queensland Priest Letters: Religious liberty - John Young Letters: Infallible teaching - Fr Brian Harrison OS Letters: A rejoinder to John Young - James Bogle Books: Edith Stein Discovered / Edith Stein and Companions - Terri Kelleher (reviewer) Books: LETTERS TO A NON-BELIEVER, by Thomas Crean - Michael Daniel (reviewer) Books: MEETING JESUS AND FOLLOWING HIM: A Retreat, by Cardinal Francis Arinze - Br Barry Coldrey (reviewer) Books: THE TEMPLARS: Knights of Christ, by Régine Pernoud - Br Barry Coldrey Formation: MacKillop College: Wagga's educational showcase - Joanne Andrews Books: Order books from www.freedompublishing.com.au Reflection: Accepting the reality of sin: a cornerstone of Christian faith - Fr Dennis Byrnes

The late Pope John Paul II often referred to the need for a "New Evangelisation." It was therefore good to hear that Pope Benedict XVI has recently formed a special group in the Vatican to put a plan for it into action.

That Australia is in dire need for a new evangelisation is obvious from the last National Church Life and Census survey which included the following poor results of Catholics who practise their religion, including attending Sunday Mass:

Ages 15-19: 4%; Ages 20-29: 5%; Ages 30-39: 9%; Ages 40-49: 16%; Ages 50-59: 18%; Ages 60-69: 21%; Ages 70-79: 18%; Ages 80+: 7%.

Comment on those numbers is not necessary. They speak for themselves.

RETIRED QUEENSLAND PRIEST

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 23 No 8 (September 2010), p. 14