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1. Let us hope the year of faith will centre on Jesus as presented in the gospel.... more Jesus, fewer laws about him.

   Posted By: rita grunke

2. What happens to Australia's 'Year of Grace'?

   Posted By: Bernadette O'Loughlin

3. The Church is presently launching evangelisation projects to cover all the continents of the World and an international gathering has just ended in Rome organised by the Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelisation.
   The present situation across the globe is not too dissimilar to the first generation of apostles who in turn prepared their followers to wade out into the deep with their net of Faith.
   To paraphrase one Vatican insider, it is now going to be the sound of door-bells rather than Church bells which will progress the mission of the Church on earth. People have to be met wherever they are, both spiritually and physically by inspired lay-people who are on fire with the love of Christ.
   The old paradigm of missionary priests or religious leading evangelisation efforts will not suffice on it's own as the charism of the lay apostolate as encouraged by the vision of Vatican II has to come into play here.

   Posted By: Gerry McIvor

4. My last experience of catholic lay apostolate, Gerry, was standing outside my local Catholic parish church in the archdiocese of Melbourne after a woman had fled the church in tears when the locum told us we could do what we like during Holy Week ceremonies- '....unless of course some rats report us to the Archbishop.'
   I waited to see if any parishioners would go out after her to see if she was alright. None did. I went and she was inconsolable.
   Later when I approached the priest and said he had distressed her - and me - he replied - 'Well you could see she was mentally ill.'
   Priestly pastoral care! And the lay apostolate? A group of women had gathered outside to discuss what had happened.
   I approached them and they turned on me - 'He didn't go far enough. The next thing is we have to get those priests out of the sanctuary.'
   I am not sure that is what the Vatican Council is about. Nor lay apostolate.

   Posted By: Phillip Turnbull

5. Rita makes a good point. It seems to me that these 'Years of this and that' are in effect a marketing ploy to advertise the Catholic Church rather than the stated 'rediscovery of the journey of faith'.
   The journey of faith is ecumenical, and is ongoing and ever-beginning for people, not something that starts in October 2012.
   These corporate strategies identify, as the home of faith, the institutions of church rather than the 'kingdom of God', which is 'not of this world'. Maybe I'm just over it.

   Posted By: PM, Eden

6. Phillip: I can see that your most recent experience of co-operation between parish priest and lay missionary candidates was appalling both on a pastoral and spiritual level.
   The locum obviously was indifferent to Church norms regarding liturgy and lay involvement in evangelical activity. He has breached both the spirit and letter of Vatican II.
   This great Council fully supported the baptismal call of each member of the body of Christ to engage in bringing the Good News to the surrounding society.
   This does not mean that we blur the lines between the ordained office of the priesthood and the role of the lay majority.
   Each contains a prophetic ministry to promulgate the teachings of the gospels.

   Posted By: Gerry McIvor

7. May I be humble enough to say the church has not a crisis of faith, but rather a crisis of leadership and a listening church.

   Posted By: michael

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