Lost!: Australian Catholics Today

Michael Gilchrist’s latest book is a wake-up call for the Catholic Church in Australia. Statistics point to a serious and worsening crisis of faith. If this is not addressed very soon the Church will become little more than a small remnant within a few decades. After years of misgovernment and failed renewal policies, time is running out. Lost! provides documented evidence of the Church’s seriously weakened condition while noting recent positive developments and offering some bold proposals for slowing or reversing the decline. Since the Catholic Church is the largest and most cohesive in Australia and the only religious body capable of offering any significant counter-weight to the present dominance of secularism and relativism, its health should concern all Australians who believe religious values are vital for our culture’s well-being. The signs of the times today call for consolidation of a Catholic identity and sifting the wheat from the chaff. This will require particularly strong leadership.