What matters most when we reach out to Catholics who do not attend Mass regularly (aka “cultural Catholics”)? Everything. It’s not just the right words, careful timing, thoughtful stories, our tone and everything else; it’s all of it. Add to the top of the list how we personally live our Catholic faith in our everyday Read more
Certainly, the biographical elements that fueled the media success of “God’s influencer” are compelling: a teenager in sneakers and jeans, passionate about video games, who created websites on Eucharistic miracles. But by focusing too much on these anecdotal aspects, are we not missing the spiritual depth of his testimony? The core of Carlo Acutis’ message Read more
You will not have seen any reporting here in New Zealand, but a few days ago, there were significant and violent riots in Montreal, Canada. Police were attacked, cars burned, buildings smashed, fires lit, and calls for revolution and to globalise the intifada. As you might expect, it was the usual suspects: Pro-Palestinian groups, supporters Read more
The pope is more unpredictable than (Donald) Trump; when he signals left, he usually turns right,” observed a keen analyst. Suffice it to say, the communication surrounding the papal visit to Corsica – a French island in the Mediterranean sea – has been uncertain at best. One might even describe it as erratic. As you Read more
Fr Joe Grayland’s disquiet over the NZ bishops’ apology (Cathnews 18/11/24) is perplexing. In a letter that needed to be short, it is hard to know what language the bishops could have used to make their apology more comprehensive than it is. Certainly, the apology needed to acknowledge, above all, Church leaders’ own failures for Read more
Since the role of bishops in the Catholic Church is so important to the life of a local church, the process by which a bishop is chosen has tremendous consequences for ordinary Catholics, and yet they currently have no say in choosing their bishop. The members of the Synod on Synodality recognized that this is Read more
The Religion Guy’s answer: The Archbishop of Canterbury, whose position has a 1,427-year history, is a major figure in world Christianity as head of the Church of England and, because of that, in modern times is also the spiritual leader of the international Anglican Communion. This branch of Christianity encompasses some 85 million members in Read more
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 call from O’Connor, whose blogs on the Food for Faith website have, for about 10 Read more
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 made at the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi. The Waitangi Tribunal has voiced its Read more
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 include academics, mental health organisations, advocacy groups and digital education providers. Few step back to Read more