Public blessings and prayers are bursting out all over - CathNews

Public blessings and prayers are bursting out all over

Tuesday, September 13th, 2011

Minsters of religion may not figure so prominently in civil ceremonies as they once did, but God, seems to be irrepressible. Public blessings and prayers are bursting out all over. In the USA, and worldwide there has been an extraordinary outpouring of prayer

In his column Brian Rudman points out that God is getting in again via the back door as it were as a result of the growing practice of involving the Tangata Whenua in civil rituals.

With the epidemic of blessings that has erupted as part of the rugby circus, “jet-lagged visitors could be forgiven for thinking the pilot had taken a wrong turning and landed in the Vatican Republic by mistake.” he says

Read Rudman’s Column
Image: The Fairfacts Media Show.

Brian Rudman is a journalist and regular editorial contributor to The New Zealand Herald, New Zealand’s largest daily newspaper.

Related Posts:

Additional reading

News category: Analysis and Comment.

Tags: public prayer, Rugby World Cup, RWC, secularisation

Analysis and Comment
- Fifth Gospel Living – book review
  
  Simple, sweet, sometimes heart-breaking, and always invigorating, Fifth Gospel Living is the latest publication from Fr John O’Connor and his Food for Faith ministry. It comprises stories of personal encounters with God. The 96 reflections are the result of a Read more
- Treaty of Waitangi should be considered as a covenant relationship
  
  A hīkoi opposing the Treaty Principles Bill has made its way to Wellington. Those who took part in the hīkoi, along with supporters around the country, both Māori and non-Māori, consider the Bill to be a betrayal of the commitments Read more
- There is reliable evidence social media harms young people – debates about it are a misdirection
  
  The Australian government is developing legislation that will ban children under 16 from social media. There has been a huge public debate about whether there is sufficient direct evidence of harm to introduce this regulation. The players in this debate Read more
- Christianity stands on threshold of new Reformation
  
  Keynote speaker Tomáš Halík (pictured) a leading Catholic intellectual and author from the Czech Republic, says Churches must transcend national, religious, cultural boundaries A new reformation for the 21st century must transcend “the current forms and boundaries of Christianity,” resist Read more

Search CathNews

Search for:
CathNews
is free

First Name:

Last Name:

Email:
Great Reads