An extensive conversation with Pope Francis has been appropriately called “una ‘enciclica laica,’ ” a “secular encyclical” by his interlocutor, the journalist Pier Bergonzi. In the course of the interview, Francis was asked if he might consider writing an encyclical on sports. His response leaves open an intriguing possibility: “Perhaps this conversation can be defined Read more
Odd Spot
Pope Francis never exercises but he likes a siesta
Thursday, March 4th, 2021Pope Francis said: “I don’t do any physical activity. “My doctor has recommended it, but my answer is always the same, ‘I don’t have time’.” He enjoys siestas, saying: “As soon as I finish lunch, I go to my room, take my shoes off and lie down fully dressed. Read more
Teacher put on leave after questioning how George Floyd died
Monday, March 1st, 2021A teacher at a Catholic High School in the USA has been put on leave after she said the manner of George Floyd’s death was “disputed”. Floyd, a Black man, died May 25, 2020, after a Minneapolis police officer crushed his neck for 8 minutes, 46 seconds. When asked who disputed it Deborah DelPrince said, Read more
Sign bans Pope from Napier quay
Thursday, February 25th, 2021
If the head of the Catholic Church ever tries to dock a boat in Napier, he’s in for a bit of a surprise. Signage on the cycleway through West Quay, Ahuriri, near where the waka is berthed, early this week read: “No popes beyond this point.” However, it turns out that if Pope Francis is Read more
Ageist greeting cards not funny
Monday, February 22nd, 2021Age-stereotype birthday cards often “exaggerate the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease, emphasize dramatic age-related physical changes, portray older adults as unattractive and cranky and suggest they lack sexual interest or have an inappropriate sexual interest,” writes Sheri Levy in “Psychology Today.” Read more
Priest put ashes on the long finger to preserve social distance
Thursday, February 18th, 2021
Worried that you were going to be have to kick off your Lent without a reminder that you are but dust and unto dust you shall return? well fear not, as a quick-thinking Waterford priest has devised a novel solution for administering ashes in a socially distanced manner. “I call it the long finger” beamed Read more
Young people are embracing orthodoxy online and in church
Monday, February 15th, 2021Gregorian chants, renaissance choral music and incense wafting from a metallic censer. And they’re not just resonating with older generations, either. Younger people are flocking to late-night Latin Mass — at least they were pre-COVID — and embracing Christian orthodoxy in online spaces. Read more
Trump’s lawyer may hold his head while drinking because of his religion
Thursday, February 11th, 2021One of Trump’s defence attorneys made headlines on the first day of the trial for reasons that had very little to do with the arguments he was making. Instead, many who tuned in wondered why he seemed to consistently hold the back of his head whenever he took a sip of water. Read more
Cardinal upholds ‘probable invalidity’ of confession by phone
Thursday, December 10th, 2020Even though the world is facing a pandemic that may limit many people’s ability to celebrate the sacraments, particularly those people who are in isolation, quarantining or hospitalized with COVID-19, confession by phone is still most likely invalid, said Cardinal Mauro Piacenza, head of the Apostolic Penitentiary. Read more