Before Fr John Fleming gives his lecture this evening at Birmingham University, I thought I would draw your attention to the new college of which he is the President: Campion College Sydney.
Imagine having an academy of further education which offered a broad range a secular subjects, each of which was approached from a genuinely Catholic perspective. On its website it desribes itself in these terms:
Campion College Australia is distinctive in both educational and religious terms. Educationally, the College's basic curriculum of the Liberal Arts is a time-proven means of intellectual development and career preparation. It entails systematic study across a broad array of subjects, which cultivates genuine freedom of mind by opening it to the discovery and embrace of truth.
Religiously, it is recognisably Catholic in its affirmation of belief in the teaching authority of the Catholic Church. Students will receive a proper grounding in Catholic belief and thought, and be exposed to the richness of the Church's spiritual, moral, intellectual and cultural traditions. The teaching authority of the Church is of decisive importance in the Campion's life. The Church has a recognised competence in its own sphere of theological enquiry. More broadly, its authority safeguards the search for truth by keeping in balance a range of intellectual freedoms.Take a look for yourself: www.campion.org.au and do download the Powerpoint Presentation on the "About Campion" page. What about there being a Catholic college in the UK with this vision?
4 comments:
We had dinner with Fr Fleming last night and he was saying how the young people attending the College really loved the fact that it was a real Catholic community, with a well established moral framework. I look forward to visiting next year!
Dear Fr Julian,
( also posted under pro-life lecture). I as a mom of a large family really enjoyed the lecture. Fr Fleming's 'great love of human life' was evident & i thought (like yourself!) he had a very engaging manner.
I thought the rapport he had with his audience is what 'caught' my attention, & his obvious enthusiasm. Some of the questions were predictable ie the usual 'rape' dilemma, but he handled that well. I did feel for you in trying to explain the other young man's 'philosophical?' question..i myself didn't have a clue what he was talking about, but it sure did sound good!
One follow up issue could perhaps be the teaching of nfp, & how this quite often enables couples to discover extremely early on in the cycle if a life has been conceived..usually before testing.
I think my little boy, Andrew jr was probably the youngest attendee..not that he understood any of it. but his presence took me back 7 years, when he was 'born' not too far away at The women's.
During his delivery a major emergency developed, with the cord prolapsing..& he was moments from death.The crash team appeared out of nowwhere & i was wheeled through the doors, anaesthetised, & he was delivered in minutes by emergency C-section. He arrived weighing 9lbs & none the worse for wear. Thanks be to God & the miraculous use of science for the good. they could have said he's not a baby as he's not born! As Fr Fleming was saying. re the debate as to what is a human life.
Sorry,
i always do go off topic! What i meant to say was thankyou so much for organising the lecture & your professionalism throughout, along with lovely refreshments afterwards.It was worth the rather traumatic through the Campus, saying my usual 'scuse me, do you know?' My husband goes mad...but women can't read maps can they?
God bless,
Jackie
Sharon, I've just met Fr John Fleming yersterday for the first time and I can begin to see what you mean. He is an exceptional leader and has an exceptional mind - he would stand out in the UK. I remember how Cardinal Ratzinger described the New Evangelisation in 2000 when speaking to Catechists - he used the principle of the "mustard seed" which at the beginning is the smallest of all seeds, and yet it will become a great tree. In the beginning there will be few in numbers, but it is a rich and powerful germ. You are very blessed to have three daughters at Campion.
I'll post about the Abortion lecture tomorrow.
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