Czech theologian, philosopher and priest Msgr Tomáš Halík says we need to broaden the concept of Church and to provide spaces for people to ask questions. Source: Catholic Outlook.
Monsignor Halík spoke in conversation with Jesuit priest Fr Frank Brennan SJ AO to hundreds of people at St Patrick’s Cathedral Hall, Parramatta, and online on Monday as part of Parramatta Diocese’s “Bishop Vincent Presents” series of public lectures.
Growing up under communism and a highly secularised former Czechoslovakia, Msgr Halík explained the self-sacrifice of a young student in protest propelled him to discern his vocation.
After living and serving in the “underground Church” during communism, Msgr Halik was co-responsible for the revival of the Church in Czechoslovakia after the fall of communism.
He established an “academic parish” in Prague and since then has baptised more than 3000 adults into the faith.
In what he described to the Parramatta audience as the “afternoon of Christianity”, referencing his latest book, Msgr Halík said that Church should open itself to the Spirit.
“We have witnessed a shattering of the credibility of the Church with the abuse crisis, and Pope Francis has discovered courageously that the abuse crisis was not a problem of some individuals, but a problem of the system,” Msgr Halík said.
“We are on the threshold of this afternoon of Christianity, which is an opportunity to recognise that we have a moment in history for change, deepening the faith, broadening the concept of Church and of Christianity, for more ecumenism, for reform of the Church, for the transformation of the limits of our mentality to open our minds and hearts to the Spirit who is always working in our hearts, in the Church, but also outside the Church.”
FULL STORY
Monsignor Halík: ‘we should seek the Galilee of today’ (By Mary Brazell, Catholic Outlook)
