When Jorge Mario Bergoglio appeared in the white papal cassock on the central balcony of St Peter’s Basilica on 13 March 2013, few people – if anyone – could have predicted how the then 76-year-old Jesuit would dramatically re-energise the Catholic Church over the next 12 months. He had been profiled as a moderately conservative Read more
In 1971 the document Justice in the World, issued by the Synod of Bishops, represented a major step in the development of Catholic teaching on the environment. Barbara Ward-Jackson was a consultant before and during the synod and undoubtedly had a considerable influence on its outcome. This document emphasised the close link between ecology and Read more
In recent days, the Ukrainian peninsula has been at the heart of what some have described as the greatest international crisis of the 21st century. But this is not the first time the region has been so critical to international affairs. Many educated people have at least heard of the great struggle known as the Read more
The earliest mention of Lent in the history of the Church comes from the council of Nicaea in 325 AD. The council of Nicaea is best known for the profession of faith – the ‘Nicene Creed’ – which is still recited in most parishes every Sunday immediately after the sermon. However, the council also issued Read more
For decades, many liberation theologians globally have lived with a looming possibility: One day, a letter could arrive from the Vatican contesting their work, even calling it heretical or anti-Christian. Mounting a defense could take years, with long, confidential letters sent back and forth to the Vatican’s powerful Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Read more
Cardinals are traditionally called “princes of the church,” but Pope Francis insisted on Sunday they’re not part of a “royal court.” Interviews with several cardinals this week suggest the pope backs up those words with his personal example. As he approaches the one-year anniversary of his election, it’s becoming steadily clearer that Francis is the Read more
3D-printed organs – quick explanation: this essentially entails filling an old inkjet printer with human tissue, which then gets ‘printed’, layer by layer, to form a 3D object. Last year, we implanted the first bioengineered blood vessel, and it won’t be long before we’ll be able to print a liver for anyone who needs one. Because Read more
Sister Candida Bellotti turned 107 years old on Thursday, and she is believed to be the oldest living nun in the world. Naturally, she has a thing or two to say about longevity and living well. Born in 1907 in Verona, Italy, Candida joined the Camillian nuns more than 80 years ago and has spent Read more
Economist Brian Easton says New Zealand’s sexy image on the global business stage does not necessarily translate to a better life for those on low incomes, particularly women and children. Easton, who’s recently published a user’s guide to economic inequality, says inequality is difficult to measure. One indicator might show it going up while another Read more
Over the past three-and-a-half years, the outback mining town of Leonora in Western Australia has been a temporary home for asylum seekers. Last month however, the Federal Government announced that Leonora’s detention centre – along with three other centres on Australia’s mainland – would close by the end of February. For Good Samaritan Sister, Annette Dever, a Read more