When Fr Bernard Hahesy brought out his book Changes in the Church Since Vatican II and the Ways of God it attracted some attention and was popular as an account by a parish priest of the effects of the changes of the last 50 years, writes Eric Hester.
Fr Hahesy has now brought out a second edition which brings things up to date with some 30 more pages.
Fr Hahesy’s trumpet does not give an uncertain sound. Here, for instance, he quotes the present Holy Father, Pope Benedict, speaking to the bishops of England and Wales in February: “As you encourage Catholic teachers in their work, place special emphasis on the quality and depth of religious education, so as to prepare an articulate and well-informed Catholic laity, able and willing to carry out its mission by engaging in temporal affairs and ordering them according to the plan of God.”
Fr Hahesy adds: “Pope Benedict knows the score in England and Wales.”
He advocates the most practical of solutions such as bringing back devotion to Our Blessed Lady and to St Joseph. He argues: “The Church needs faith movements and not structures; it needs spirituality, not endless discussions. It needs to teach unambiguously; otherwise it could be guilty of disguised apostasy.”
The book can be obtained, priced £5, by telephoning 01752 665406.
