Liguorian: A Report Card on the Church

Hello:

I usually start these posts with something of a more personal nature. I actually began writing that kind of post about 4:15 AM this morning, but then the newspaper arrived.... If I finish that post, the last comment will make sense - or at least have context. ANYWAY - Today I'd like to share an article from the current issue of Liguorian magazine. A Report Card on the Church: Forty Years After Vatican II by Richard R. Gaillardetz, Ph.D. is a strong article that addresses a variety of current issues from the efficacy of the Church to implement "Vatican II" reforms to the failure of the Church to respond to sexual abuse scandals. I think this article offers something of interest to anyone who is interested in the modern Church, whether they are Catholic or not. By now, everyone should be tired of hearing that I am a non-Catholic working at a leading Catholic publisher (Liguori Publications), but I like to point it out when material has a greater appeal.

Not to keep harping on this article, but it does a nice job helping me to further understand "what is a Catholic?". In "Role of Community in Catholic Life" and "More on What Defines Catholic Community" I discuss some of these issues and my motivations for better understanding.

If you like the featured article, you may also be interested in some of our titles by Dr. Richard R. Gaillardetz (a few of which are available in Spanish). In particular Becoming Word for One Another: A Spirituality for Lectors and the Lay Ministry in the Catholic Church: Visioning Church Ministry Through the Wisdom of the Past 'collection' that includes everything but a ball cap.

I hope that you'll check out the article, I really do think it is well written and has broad appeal. I would REALLY appreciate it if you would leave a comment with your thoughts after reading it. Hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to provide a post with a little broader interest and that isn't such a blatant tie-in to my company. I (almost) feel gulity using this article and author in this stand-alone fashion, because it (unlike this) is good material.

Peace,

P. Del Ricci - Dark Glass