The Empty Chair

Written by Chris McDonnell

Published: 27 February 2013

So today is the day before. At eight o’clock GMT, Thursday, Benedict XVI will relinquish the papacy and retire. At that point the Church enters unknown territory in modern times. What will happen in the next few weeks as the Conclave meets and finally selects a successor to Benedict is all a matter of conjecture. Names are tossed around by the media, anxious for a story or just wanting to report plain gossip.  Articles are published that suggest intrigue and plot, usually unsourced, but they whet the appetite and keep people talking.

Urgency of Reform

Written by Kevin Hannigan

Published: 26 February 2013

A letter which appeared in this weeks Tablet from the Core Group:

A Call to Action was started last autumn by seven priests (News from Britain and Ireland, 13 October). We ourselves were experiencing a great deal of frustration and even resentment at the state of our Church, and felt that many laypeople would share those feelings. We invited them to come to Heythrop so that we could all talk openly to one another and think about how we might constructively express our commitment to Vatican II in our current situation. We were overwhelmed by the large number of people who came, and the intensity of disillusion, anxiety for the future of our Church and often a sense of betrayal which they experience. We invited people all over England and Wales to form local groups in which our shared commitment might find expression. Many such groups have formed, in more than 12 dioceses. There are several important topics in theology and in church governance which they urgently wish to address; but in every case there is a desire to have much closer and more trusting relationships between laity, priests and bishops.
We hope to foster these developments, and to organise a national meeting some time in the autumn. We have a website located at http://www.acalltoaction.org.uk where people
can find more information, and sign in if they so wish.
We earnestly want to have a Church characterised by a recognition of the charisms of all our members, by intellectual honesty in our Catholic faith, and by our desire to learn from
and witness effectively to our world. Why not join us?

Kevin Hannigan, Gerard J. Hughes,
Chris Larkman (and 10 others)
A Call to Action

Hinsley Hall (Leeds) Seminar

Written by Chris Larkman

Published: 12 February 2013

A Diocesan Leaders’ Seminar is planned for 6-7 May 2013 at Hinsley Hall in Leeds (Leeds Diocesan Pastoral Centre.)  The purpose of the Seminar is to gather together the experiences of groups from across the UK, to pray together, and to plan future work.  Whilst the Seminar is primarily for diocesan leaders, there are some spare places available.

 DIOCESAN LEADERS’ SEMINAR

Selection Criteria for Bishops

Written by John Sullivan

Published: 01 February 2013

The Liverpool/Lancaster ACTA group offer this as a contribution for discussion by other groups.  It was felt that the core group and other groups might wish to discuss this and refine it, correct it, amplify it, etc

 Selection Criteria for Bishops