what might have been ...

By Diogenes ( articles ) | Oct 19, 2005

Australian commentator R. John Kinkel chafes at Cardinal George Pell's remarks at the Synod, and laments the current state of the Church, exclaiming, "It did not have to be this way":

WHAT IF… the pope in 1966 followed the advice of the papal birth control commission and stated that this was a matter of conscience for all Catholics. Yes, and what if he had the courage to say that in 1930 the church had overstepped its bounds in condemning artificial birth control. ...

WHAT IF… in about 1975 the Catholic Church saw the need for a married clergy to give our ministry the diversity it needed in dealing with the challenges of the modern world. ...

WHAT IF… in about 1988 the church understood the importance of women: at that time we could have restored the role of women by ordaining them to the diaconate.

What heights of progress and growth would our Church have scaled had she changed herself according to this program? Class, can you answer R. John's question? Anyone? Yes, the little man in the fuchsia blouse ...?