Comments on: WYD is the best PR the Catholic Church could pray for

By: RM

RM — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Of course “WYD” is supposed to be good PR.

It is essentially a recruitment drive. A moribund, out-of-touch organistation calling desperately for young men (and women) to take the vow of celibacy and sign up for service. The main message to come out of Ratzinger’s mass yesterday was exactly the same as his previous one in Cologne three years ago, and all of those conducted by his ultra-conservative, but media-astute predecessor. They’re becoming increasingly desperate for priests and do not want to tackle the problem head on - i.e. by dropping the oath of celibacy. The laughable thing is, for every one Roman catholic preist who sticks to his vows, there’s someone who doesn’t. It’s the church’s worst kept secret.

By: RJG

RJG — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

To say that the leaders of the Catholic Church are like the British Monarchy is a slap in the face of Her Majesty. The British Monarchy has moved with the times, admittedly not always willingly, but they have moved. The Monarchy wields power only with the advice of a democratically elected parliament. The Catholic Church invests all power in an un-elected autocracy where no lay people have any real influence over doctrine. Women are even more disenfranchised than men. Her Majesty, as the leader of the Church Of England plays no part in the development of doctrine, and is the simply the figurehead of this organisation which is considerably more catholic regarding the development of ideas than the Catholic Church leaders have ever been.

The froth and bubble of World Youth Day will dissipate quickly. The moribund and obsolete doctrines of the Catholic Chiurch will reamain.

By: Daniel Batt

Daniel Batt — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

On the surface it was good PR. But those of us with more of a sceptical bent got the heebie jeebies with a personality cult that would make North Korea’s Kim Jong Il blush. One youth commented that seeing the pope was like seeing Jesus Christ in the flesh. Hey? Who is it they worship again?

By: Raphael Hythloday

Raphael Hythloday — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

I was in the middle of Randwick during the Papal Vigil. After the long walk of the afternoon, and a concert atmosphere which persisted, very few of the pilgrims around me were paying much attention to the Pope’s long (but profound) address. At the moment of benediction, however, when the crowd was blessed by the Eucharist, which Catholic believe is the flesh of Christ himself, the chatter stopped, people turned around, and everyone dropped to their knees in prayer. Catholics know whom they worship. It’s non-Catholics who seem to confuse the Pope with some deity.

PS Since when has the Church’s demands EVER been easy or popular? Some people shrugged off Christ too. He didn’t change his teachings then. Why should his Church suddenly go down that road now?