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1. What a negative and defensive report. That some in the church feels under siege is more an internal problem calling for church reform as preparatory papers to the Synod stated.
   Positive points in the same papers are there for those not blinded by fear of 'being in the world' where Jesus sent his followers.

   Posted By: Fr Charles Rue

2. Increasing competition will continue from evangelical churches unless the hierarchy learns to adopt some of the methods of success.
   While our Church has many wonderful ways to follow Christ, it continues in its antiquated methods of evangelisation.
   This quite apart from the other obstacles and reform issues, such as issues of contraception, the question of women in the Church, homosexuality, the politics lately applied to receiving the Eucharist including divorced and remarried Catholics, etc. Father Charles is correct - the church must be in the World where Jesus sent his followers!

   Posted By: Peter M

3. The post-synodial document fo 1974 remains a blueprint for evangelisation in the modern world.
   A priest introduced me to it saying, 'This is the most forgotten and ignored document of post Vatican II'.
   The prophetic voice of Joseph Cardijn, in the early C19, taught and led the lay faithful towards a Çhurch in the World'. The starting point is where the person is in the neighbourhood, workplace, club ... E.N. #28, 29.
   It is notable that in the lay appointees to the Pope's Commission there is no-one who represents the Cardijn Way or Jocists or YCW or someone- anyone who has lived Cardijn's faith.
   See also today's CathNews - Bishop Ludwig Muller.

   Posted By: Anne Norman

4. Several years ago the Anglican Archdiocese of Brisbane developed a new expression of their Mission.
   Where once we found the words 'to transform the World', we then came to read of a much more open and dialogic process between the Church and the world. Point?
   The so called 'new evangelization' seems to ignore the lesson learned by our Anglicans colleagues viz, if the Church is to be in the world, them the manner of being in requires dialogue. Further, in involves a certain vulnerability, and an open-ness to risk. The world has much to offer to the Church, but if we approach the world with only a tongue and without ears, we will finish up talking only to ourselves.
   Any evangelization process that sees the task as a one way exercise, approaches the task of evangelization from the wrong perspective.
   Look at the list of topics presented by the Bishops for the Synod.
   How many are asking that the Church heal itself first before offering answers to the world?
   Perhaps the Church has not yet learned the lessons that Jesus struggled to teach to his disciples.

   Posted By: Garry

5. There are so many reasons why the Church is failing in its mission to proclaim the Gospel, few of which have to do with secularism.
   The key problem that this synod will have to face is a very particular realization of Church strangling the Gospel.
   One of the central metaphors of the Gospel is that of the mustard seed. What it grows into is a wild shrub, some regard it as a weed. It is wild. It grows anywhere, and disperses under its own impetus.
   So long as the Church fears the Gospel then the manifestation of that fear - secularisation -will continue to eat the souls of the West.
   If the Gospel truly is so significant for this synod then a decision about the primacy of the Gospel needs to be made: to serve the Gospel, or exhaust itself trying to contain it.

   Posted By: Mark Johnson

6. Secularism will continue to win out because of the whispering groups within the Church who egg people on with voting 'guides' and the noise created for political interests that support business over workers.
   We need the approach of a Cardinal Gilroy and the Apostolic Nuncio to get the Church out of politics but encourage people to join the party that the whisperers have always hated. Yep you guessed it; the ALP.
   We need many more people to learn about and support the McKell tradition as did Lionel Bowen and many other greats. There is no other way to turn back the tide.

   Posted By: Michael Webb

7. Peter M: What do you mean by 'the politics lately applied to receiving the Eucharist including divorced and remarried Catholics'?
   This is the first I have heard of any recent change in Church discipline in that area.
   Garry: While we certainly can learn from the experiences of other religious bodies, we shouldn't try to emulate any model which has clearly failed.

   Posted By: Peter G

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