Just before Lent began, someone suggested to me that I should give up blogging for Lent. Which I have done. (I justify posting now on the view that Lent ends on Maundy Thursday evening, a view that I encountered from a quite impeccable monastic source.)
It is interesting to reflect on the experience of not blogging, and herewith some of the thoughts that have occurred to me as the end of my absence from the aether has approached.
1. In a very real way, I have not missed writing for the blog. There have been a few points where something has occurred, and I have thought, "Oh, I might have posted to say this or that". But I have not really missed the additional step of formulating the thoughts coherently, sitting at the keyboard and posting. It is not always necessary to publish an opinion ....
2. I have also found that it is quite possible to live an informed ecclesial existence without reading Catholic blogs. Which thought led me to wonder - somewhere around Laetare Sunday - just how much of what I do find myself reading on blogs can rightly be described as ecclesial gossip. And whether it is some of the more widely-read blogs that purvey the majority of this gossip. Pope Francis is, I think, quite clear about what he considers to be the evil of gossip; and perhaps, in reading blogs, it is easy to become complicit in that evil.
3. It is not at all clear that, by not spending time blogging, I have necessarily spent the time usefully on other things. I cannot say that I have noticed that I do my marking, for example, any more quickly than before.
4. I did receive an appreciative comment just before leaving the aether, and before I had worked out the right way to acknowledge that comment. I must have appeared somewhat ungrateful, not just for not acknowledging the comment, but for then disappearing altogether without explanation. So my apologies to the person concerned. I am back now.
5. All this having been said, there is a small community of Catholic blogs that I characterise by the term "more thoughtful". Of their nature, they are not going to attract huge numbers of readers - they aren't controversial enough for that - but they probably do more to "build communion" than do other blogs. It is to that community that I feel I am now returning.
Showing posts with label purpose of blog. Show all posts
Showing posts with label purpose of blog. Show all posts
Thursday, 17 April 2014
Thursday, 11 February 2010
Dialogue for unity in the Church
I have for some time now been wanting to review the list of blogs to which I have links. At the same time, the recent launch of "Stand up for Vatican II", and the attendant controversy, has prompted thoughts on what the implementation of the Second Vatican Council might mean some 45 years on. Other events in the Church have also prompted a reflection on the mission for unity in the Church - Summorum Pontificum and its accompanying letter from Pope Benedict XVI, and more recently Anglicanorum Coetibus.
I have also been reflecting on the nature of that virtual world that it is the blogosphere. The Catholic blogosphere has by and large been dominated by blogs of a traditionalist or conservative inclination, forming what I have termed the "tradosphere". But if the Catholic blogs are seen as being at the service of the mission of the Church, then they are at the service of communion. This service to communion is lived out through the element of dialogue that can be, but is not always, a part of the blogging phenomenon. If this dialogue is really to be part of the Catholic blogosphere, it will not be served by traditionalist/conservative blogs that only speak with each other, and a kind of parallel universe of liberal/dissenting blogs that again only speak with each other. A certain intersection of the "tradosphere" and the "trendosphere" is needed. It is this thought that has prompted me to include in my revised blogs list blogs that some visitors might find surprising.
So, what are the specific factors that I have used in deciding what to include in my blogs and links lists?
1. Consideration of what is meant by the authentic implementation of the Second Vatican Council, trying to understand the expectations of those who have an experience of those times in the life of the Church.
2. An authentic understanding of the thought of John Henry Newman, partly because of his impending beatification and partly because of how some use his thought to support interpretations of the Second Vatican Council of doubtful authenticity. His notions of conscience and of the development of doctrine are particularly relevant here.
3. I have wanted to exclude journalistic or politically motivated dissent from the Church's teaching, not so much from the point of view of censorship, but from the point of view that such dissent does not offer real opportunity for dialogue. I have tried to include intelligent articulation of liberal/progressive points of view because, though I might disagree with the views it expresses, there is a real possibility for dialogue. Distinguishing between these two is not easy, so there may be some inclusions that do not meet my intentions perfectly.
This represents a wish to use this blog for the promotion of a dialogue for unity in the Church, as well as for its wider purpose of providing a Catholic commentary on things in general. My school half term gives me a bit more time to implement the full review of my blog and site links, so for the next few days this will be a "work in progress". While that is the case, the blog and site links will probably look a bit odd and mixed up. Bear with me until it is finished!
I have also been reflecting on the nature of that virtual world that it is the blogosphere. The Catholic blogosphere has by and large been dominated by blogs of a traditionalist or conservative inclination, forming what I have termed the "tradosphere". But if the Catholic blogs are seen as being at the service of the mission of the Church, then they are at the service of communion. This service to communion is lived out through the element of dialogue that can be, but is not always, a part of the blogging phenomenon. If this dialogue is really to be part of the Catholic blogosphere, it will not be served by traditionalist/conservative blogs that only speak with each other, and a kind of parallel universe of liberal/dissenting blogs that again only speak with each other. A certain intersection of the "tradosphere" and the "trendosphere" is needed. It is this thought that has prompted me to include in my revised blogs list blogs that some visitors might find surprising.
So, what are the specific factors that I have used in deciding what to include in my blogs and links lists?
1. Consideration of what is meant by the authentic implementation of the Second Vatican Council, trying to understand the expectations of those who have an experience of those times in the life of the Church.
2. An authentic understanding of the thought of John Henry Newman, partly because of his impending beatification and partly because of how some use his thought to support interpretations of the Second Vatican Council of doubtful authenticity. His notions of conscience and of the development of doctrine are particularly relevant here.
3. I have wanted to exclude journalistic or politically motivated dissent from the Church's teaching, not so much from the point of view of censorship, but from the point of view that such dissent does not offer real opportunity for dialogue. I have tried to include intelligent articulation of liberal/progressive points of view because, though I might disagree with the views it expresses, there is a real possibility for dialogue. Distinguishing between these two is not easy, so there may be some inclusions that do not meet my intentions perfectly.
This represents a wish to use this blog for the promotion of a dialogue for unity in the Church, as well as for its wider purpose of providing a Catholic commentary on things in general. My school half term gives me a bit more time to implement the full review of my blog and site links, so for the next few days this will be a "work in progress". While that is the case, the blog and site links will probably look a bit odd and mixed up. Bear with me until it is finished!
Friday, 15 May 2009
Christian friendship
What is the ecclesial role of Catholic blogging? It is easy to see it as being an ability on the part of a blog owner to publish ideas and news without the modification of those ideas and news by the editorial line of another website or print publication, be that modification the result of actual editing or the result of a surrounding context in which the ideas and news are published. As with any web publication of Catholic ideas, blogging can contribute to evangelisation, too - "Google" plays a part in this!
But, in a wider sense, blogging can be seen as being at the service of communion, particularly communion between Catholics, but also communion in its sense as the building of unity among the wider community. Blogging builds communion between those who read a blog and the writer, between those who post comments and the writer. For this reason, I try to treat comments as a means of promoting dialogue. It is also why I post about our days out (here and here, for example) because I think these are a testimony to Christian friendship that can encourage others.
The little magazine Magnificat, which started UK distribution at the end of 2008, includes a meditation for each day. The one for today is entitled "You are my friends", and is taken from Blessed Simon Fidati of Cascia (d. 1348, Augustinian friar renowned for his preaching).
[Note to myself: I will do the washing up next time ...]
But, in a wider sense, blogging can be seen as being at the service of communion, particularly communion between Catholics, but also communion in its sense as the building of unity among the wider community. Blogging builds communion between those who read a blog and the writer, between those who post comments and the writer. For this reason, I try to treat comments as a means of promoting dialogue. It is also why I post about our days out (here and here, for example) because I think these are a testimony to Christian friendship that can encourage others.
The little magazine Magnificat, which started UK distribution at the end of 2008, includes a meditation for each day. The one for today is entitled "You are my friends", and is taken from Blessed Simon Fidati of Cascia (d. 1348, Augustinian friar renowned for his preaching).
A friend comes to the rescue in time of need, and if he is aware of the truth of friendship, he directs his friend just as if he were himself and puts his own members at his disposal if he has lost his. ... A friend is a lighted coal, and if placed beside it, it can rekindle a dead one. A true friend gives more attention to friendship than to the person with whom he is disposed to be friendly. For indeed the person often disappoints, but the friendship is always the same. ...
Christian friendship is very broad in its generality, for it is extended to all without exception or distinction, and with those with whom one cannot share one's life along the way one hopes rather to achieve this in the fatherland of heaven... For if true friendship is exchanged between God and us, between human beings and angels, between human beings and human beings, true friendship then is love.
[Note to myself: I will do the washing up next time ...]
Saturday, 26 January 2008
First Post: Why do I do this?
This is very much a first dip of my toe into the world of Catholic blogging. I am sure there are pitfalls that I do not yet know about. If a more experienced blogger wishes to advise me of any of them, please do so via comments!
I gather that one should give an idea of the purpose of a blog. I recall that, soon after Pope John Paul II was elected Pope, I got hold of the address that he gave to the meeting of the South American Bishop's Conference that took place at Puebla. I think it was the first of John Paul II's overseas trips. I still have the copy of his text that I then obtained, and I viewed it as a "manifesto" for John Paul's whole pontificate.
In a similar vein, I viewed the addresses that Pope Benedict XVI gave during this visit to Cologne in 2005 as a kind of manifesto for the his pontificate. To start off my blog, then, I am going to serialise a thematic analysis I made of those addresses when I returned from Cologne. This is a way of identifying my purpose in blogging with the mission of Pope Benedict XVI.
I gather that one should give an idea of the purpose of a blog. I recall that, soon after Pope John Paul II was elected Pope, I got hold of the address that he gave to the meeting of the South American Bishop's Conference that took place at Puebla. I think it was the first of John Paul II's overseas trips. I still have the copy of his text that I then obtained, and I viewed it as a "manifesto" for John Paul's whole pontificate.
In a similar vein, I viewed the addresses that Pope Benedict XVI gave during this visit to Cologne in 2005 as a kind of manifesto for the his pontificate. To start off my blog, then, I am going to serialise a thematic analysis I made of those addresses when I returned from Cologne. This is a way of identifying my purpose in blogging with the mission of Pope Benedict XVI.
These posts can be found in the series entitled "Pope Benedict XVI in Cologne: part 1" to "Pope Benedict XVI in Cologne: part 6". The themes are:
Part 2: the forgetfulness of God in contemporary life, and a call to a meeting with Jesus ChristPart 3: the Eucharist as the "place" of our meeting with Jesus Christ and the source of transformation for the worldPart 4: the Christian heritage of Cologne (and, by implication, of Europe) and the example of the saintsPart 5: dialogue with those of other Christian denominationsPart 6: dialoge with believers of non-Christian religions,
As I update this post, questions of the denial of the place of God and religion in public life, and of dialogue between religions themselves and between religions and secular society, seem very relevant. Pope Benedict XVI has spoken since Cologne of the need to search for truth, and the necessity of this adherence to truth as a condition for dialogue in society.
I hope that you can see these same concerns reflected in the posts on this blog.
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