This is one of the most important sessions of this Conference. In it, we come to a question – of what we believe about human dignity, including sexuality – that is deeply dividing, not only for Anglicans but for every part of God’s global church. This conference is one of the few places where we Read more
When Pope Francis gave his first full-length interview after his election in 2013, he was asked about the importance of the church providing solid points of reference in a rapidly changing world. The new pope pulled out his thumb-worn breviary and read out a Latin quote from a fifth-century French monk. Highlighting the words of Read more
Too many disabled people encounter excuses when they ask for access to worship spaces. “It’s not in our budget,” religious leaders will say to the wheelchair user who can’t fit into a bathroom stall. Or, “We can’t make that alteration just for you.” Budget constraints are real, but too often, enabling greater access to people Read more
Despite the sins of its members, the Christian faith is far greater than opinion polls in the news. It shouldn’t surprise, given the 2021 census results concerning religion, those critical of Christianity and the Catholic Church have used the fall in numbers to suggest religion is moribund and no longer relevant to Australian society. With Read more
Pope Francis’ six-day pastoral visit to Canada was a great success. It wasn’t until the news conference on the plane back to Rome that it became clear he wasn’t properly briefed for his visit. Francis, in Canada on what he called a penitential pilgrimage, apologized to the Indigenous peoples of the country for the Catholic Church’s Read more
Watching local television news is not something I often do. Last week I decided I’d give it a go. Collective Noun What is the collective noun for banality presenters? Is it a “glut of banalisers” or a “nonsense of news readers”? Whatever the collective noun, NZ television news has cornered the banality market and raised Read more
Jesus in the dive bar. The meme popped up on my Facebook feed, shared by a friend and liked by a lot of people. It said, “Jesus didn’t dine with tax collectors and sinners because he wanted to appear inclusive, tolerant, and accepting. “He ate with them to call them to a changed and fruitful Read more
More than a year ago, Pope Francis announced the Synod on Synodality, an initiative to take the pulse of the Catholic Church. The U.S. Catholics have been mostly silent about this effort, but in several countries, including Australia, France, England and Wales, and Germany, things are moving full steam ahead. Two major problems have come Read more
I was born into a family with a simple faith that established Jesus as the children’s friend. There were many little hymns about this, some mentioning the mothers of Saalam who brought their children to Jesus. Remember that? The disciples tried to drive the children away, but Jesus rebuked his men, and gathered the children Read more
I didn’t always know what scrupulosity meant, but I always knew there was something different about me. I think back to the kindergarten classroom where I confessed to the teacher about doing something I did not do. There was the slightest possibility that perhaps I had done it but had forgotten. That bit of doubt Read more