ROFTer = Reader of First Things
As you know from my frequent references to this journal, I am, and I think very highly of the founding editor, Fr Richard John Neuhaus.
If you are a reader of/subscriber to First Things, let me know in the Combox. We could form a kind of “online” ROFTers group!
I propose that
1) We replace the absentee monarch of Australia (who is also the Monarch of Great Britain) with an elected Australian monarchy.
2) The elected monarch exactly replaces the current monarch in the current constition.
3) The elected monarch has exactly the same powers, duties and responsibilities as those of the current absentee monarch. All the monarch's functions are carried out by his/her personal representatives (as is currently the case): federally by the Governor General, and in the states by the State Governors.
4) The Governor General and the Governors continue to be selected and appointed as they currently are, that is, by the premier with the approval of the monarch.
5) The monarch is elected to sovereignty over Australia for life, but his/her sovereignty is strictly non-hereditary.
6) The elective body is the "college of electors" comprised of the state governors and federal governor general.
7) The election of the monarch must be a unanimous decision on the part of the college of electors.
I ROFT regularly :-)
I enjoy the FT blog, and there’s always plenty to discuss.
Blog and print.
Oh, yes. 1-2 articles a month and blog.
I’m an on and off surfer of the site, read various articles plus the blog.
Father Neuhaus is a great read. His pithy comments in “While We’re At It” are superb.
I wonder why there isn’t a magazine of similar focus and quality here? News Weekly is the closest, but it doesn’t attain the heights of FT. Is it just because the potential readership here is so much smaller? Or is it something else?
I would imagine that not only is our readership smaller, but that our authorship is smaller. Better that we should attempt to get more Australian content into First Things. George Pell and Adam Cooper have both appeared in its pages. But I can’t find any entry for essays by Elliott, Rowland, Tonti-Filippini or Fisher…
Athanasius said…
I wonder why there isn’t a magazine of similar focus and quality here?
An excellent Australian journal is ‘The Priest’ put out by the Australian Confraternity of Catholic Clergy.
In the current edition are articles such as:
‘Transformers: Youth, Politics and the Church’ by Senator Boswell and ‘This World and the Holy: Religion and Freedom’ by Archbishop Bruno Forte.
It’s available on taking up lay associate membership (for non-clergy).
The website is here:
http://www.australianccc.org/
Back copies of the journal can be found if you scroll down the web page.
I have contributed to that journal occasionally. Fr Paul McGavin used to be the editor. I presume he still is.
Yes, Fr McGavin is the editor.