INTRODUCTION
The ‘National Forum – Vatican II: Unfinished Business’ was a conference held at St Joseph’s College, Sydney on July 12th, 13th and 14th, 2002 to mark the 40th anniversary of the commencement of the Second Vatican Council in 1963. Its aim was to review the changes that had taken place in the Catholic Church since that time and to examine where the vision articulated in the Council documents had so far not been accomplished.
The Conference was co-sponsored by the Aquinas Academy and Catalyst for Renewal Incorporated. The Aquinas Academy is a work of the Marist Fathers, offering courses on a variety of topics including spirituality, biblical studies, church history and religious education. Catalyst for Renewal is a group of mainly lay persons whose mission is to establish forums for conversation within the Catholic Church, in order to encourage open exchanges about contemporary issues while recognising the diversity of expression of faith in Australia. The official journal of Catalyst for Renewal is ‘The MIX’.
These pages contain transcripts of nineteen of the papers presented at the National Forum, a record of the Panel Discussion and the Homily given by Bishop Geoffrey Robinson at the Conference Eucharist. In addition there is a selection of articles published in ‘The MIX’ from mid 2001 to 2003 on the topic of the Second Vatican Council and its effects.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Focus Group Presentations
1 Claire Barbeau
The challenge of harnessing Vatican II
2 Frank Brennan, SJ, AO
The Church in the modern world – to what extent have we engaged?
3 Virginia Bourke, RSJ
Dei Verbum and Catholicism’s ancient genius
4 Jim Carty, SM
The social teachings of Vatican II
5. Michael Casey OCSO
Deconstruction into reality
6 Michael Costigan
Vatican II as I remember it
7 Mary Cresp, RSJ
Religious life and its evolution since Vatican II
8 Geraldine Doogue
The Church in public life
9 Bruce Duncan, CSsR
Has the Catholic critique of Capitalism stalled?
10 Patricia Egan, RSJ
Participation and co-responsibility in the local church
11 Robert Fitzgerald, AM
Leadership in our Church – a shared responsibility of service
12 Geraldine Hawkes
Women’s participation in the Church
13 Bishop Peter Ingham
Ecumenical and interfaith relations
14 Tony Kelly, CSsR
The Church in the modern world – was there too much joy and hope?
15 Dr Timothy O’Hearn
Catholic education
16 Carmel Pilcher, RSJ
Eucharist: Vatican II’s challenge
17 Bishop Geoffrey Robinson
Conscience – doing the right thing and taking responsibility for it
18 John Thornhill, SM
Vatican II challenged the Church to leave its tidy ‘world apart’
19 Fr Trevor Trotter
The overseas mission of the Australian Church
Panel Discussion
Vatican II: Unfinished Business – Panel Discussion
Bishop Geoffrey Robinson
Robert Fitzgerald, AM
Michael Whelan, SM
Homily
Homily at the Eucharist
Bishop Geoffrey Robinson
The MIX Essays
22 Archbishop Francesco Canalini
Looking Forward with Confidence
23 Bishop Geoffrey Robinson
Pope John XXIII and Vatican II
24 Bishop John Heaps
Vatican II – Unfinished Business
25 Edmund Campion
Vatican II – Historical Reflections
26 Francis Moloney
Vatican II – The Word in the Church Tradition
27 Michael Costigan
Vatican II – Memories and Reflections
28 Sandie Cornish
True and False Prophets
29 Bishop Geoffrey Robinson
The Unfinished Business of Vatican II
30 Cardinal Edward Clancy
Some Thoughts on Church Dialogue
31 Bishop Michael; Malone
Vatican II – Seen but not Heard
32 Michael Whelan SM
Vatican II – The Journey from Here
33 Max Vodola
Vatican II – The Politics of ‘Aggiornamento’
