19 March 2010

Cardinal Pell, Again

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I was alerted by the wonderful Schutz that a debate between Cardinal Pell and an American atheist had been placed on line. The two mp3s are available here.

It's a proper debate, not a TV debate, so don't expect fireworks. Expect hmms and haaas; listen to ideas unfolding while the speaker is speaking; note the respect that the two speakers show for each other as individuals; and note that, while they both really care about what they believe in, Cardinal Pell happens to believe in what we believe in.

Cardinal Pell is a standing challenge to the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales: he is a product of a British educational system and has developed a confident and assertive voice that our Bishops should be able to draw on and develop in their turn around the particular circumstances they face.

So why do we not have a Bishop who will engage as Cardinal Pell engages? Not all of them: "What if ten shall be found there?"

2 comments:

fr paul harrison said...

I think one of the many problems has been an anti-intellctualism that pervades the Church in England and Wales. Phrases like "we dont talk abt dogma or doctrine" "Apologetics is not for this modern age" etc etc

So, I'm not too surprised that very few can debate properly about our Faith.

JARay said...

I thank God for Cardinal Pell.
I'm also quite happy that Anthony John Abbott is the Leader of the Opposition.
JARay