The call for synodality has been louder than ever, but does the Church truly understand what it means to listen, especially to those who have left its pews? Listening has become a recurring term in religious circles, particularly in discussions around synodality. But if the Catholic Church is serious about this form of governance, it Read more
Over the past three years, I have been speaking to many groups about the notion of synodality and what it might mean (and not mean) for that community of disciples we refer to as the Catholic Church. In the discussions, one question is invariably put to me, and it amounts to this: If you were Read more
The number of foreigners living in Japan has reached an all-time high. According to the country’s Immigration Services Agency, more than three million aliens were living in Japan at the end of 2022. In fact, the agency’s count of 3,075,213 is lower than the actual number because there are undocumented aliens in the country in Read more
Three years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, churches have fewer people in the pews, more money in the collection plate and less conflict than they had in 2020. Despite their struggles, many congregations are optimistic about the future. Clergy dissatisfaction, on the other hand, remains on the rise. Those are among the findings Read more
Newly discovered documents at Vatican City’s Pontifical Biblical Institute may shed some light on what happened to many Roman Jews during the Nazi occupation in WW2. The documents contain the names of 3,200 Jews whose lives Catholics protected during the occupation. Rome’s Jewish community organisation has verified the listed Jews’ identities. Researchers from the Pontifical Read more
A vivid, multicultural portrayal of Jesus now graces the halls of St Joseph’s Cathedral School in Dunedin. The mural, which veers away from traditional iconography, aims to represent a more modern and inclusive image of Jesus Christ and is the work of a unique collaboration between local artist Aroha Novak and the school’s pupils. Novak, Read more
After reading last week’s column, “Global warming is here and getting worse,” my brother, who is president of a Jesuit high school, responded, “Great article, but you just describe the problems. I’d never let you out of my office until you gave me a solution.” The good news is there are ways to reduce and Read more
A couple of months ago, I was at a dinner party with a professor of one of the hard sciences at Cambridge. The talk turned to AI, and he told us the following story. He had asked ChatGPT to write one of the essays that he sets his students. The result, he said, was a Read more
Pope Francis assured one of the world’s smallest Catholic communities, Mongolia, that size does not matter to God. “God loves littleness, and through it, he loves to accomplish great things,” Pope Francis said during an address in Mongolia at Ulaanbaatar’s Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul on September 2. Doubling down, he urged the Church Read more
Migrant exploitation and its prevention are current concerns for Immigration New Zealand (INZ). The concern follows media exposure of numerous shameful examples of migrant workers coming to New Zealand and finding themselves without work, money or suitable accommodation. On Monday, INZ said it had received 711 complaints against accredited employers, with 154 being investigated for Read more