In early September Pope Francis has scheduled two busy weeks of travel. He will visit Indonesia, Timor Leste, Papua New Guinea and Singapore. No doubt some Australians will grumble that he passed so close without dropping in to visit us. For the 87 year-old Pope such travel will be arduous. His determination to continue visiting Read more
At the age of 87, Pope Francis will embark on an 11-day trip to Southeast Asia that will test both his physical health and the core messages of his pontificate, focusing on the poor, the environment and a Catholic Church at the margins. The papal trip, which will take place Sept. 2-13, presents the most Read more
Penrith head coach Ivan Cleary (pictured) surely couldn’t have left the team’s coaching box after their 22-18 loss to Canberra last weekend without a quick glance at his son and injured halfback, Nathan. After an injury-riddled season to date, the premiership-winning coach will be itching to bring his star back onto the field to reinforce Read more
The prime minister has called it an “energy security crisis” and signalled a review of New Zealand’s electricity market as wholesale prices spike and industries suffer. And he’s right – this year has seen pricing turmoil. August saw daily averages ranging between NZ$164.52 and $853.57 per megawatt hour (MWh). By comparison, August 2023 saw a Read more
Preaching to teenagers has always been a challenge. But in the smartphone age, clergy need to realise that the odds of making a spiritual connection have changed — radically. Young people who spend as many as 10 or more hours a day focusing on digital screens will find it all but impossible to listen to Read more
Almost half of US Orthodox churches remained open during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to only 12 percent of all religious congregations. Most American churches navigated the patchwork of COVID-19 restrictions on public gatherings by periodically closing their doors and broadcasting services online instead. But for almost half of U.S. Orthodox Christians, whose liturgy involves processions, Read more
I was struck by the gospel reading on Sunday (Aug. 25) in which John, speaking about Jesus’ followers, wrote that “many of his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him.” The image made me sad, because it seemed to reflect what is going on in the Catholic Church and Read more
Savaged by fighting, atrocities, and famine, Sudan is descending into chaos, exacerbated by foreign interference, despite the Geneva negotiations. The deadlock has pushed Sudan into being a “forgotten” conflict. Sudan’s reality If this were a film, its script would be criticised for overusing every dramatic device. Looting, rape, executions, and bombings. The horrors of a Read more
Two key educators associated with Head Start of Miami-Dade County in Southern Florida and Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami worry about an uptick in youngsters with specific developmental disabilities and special needs. While the exact causes remain a matter of speculation, it is thought that excessive electronic device screen time among the very Read more
The Catholic Worker Movement appreciates the opportunity to submit a response to the Local Government Bill (Electoral Legislation and Māori Wards and Māori Constituencies ) Amendment Bill. We do so on behalf of the Catholic Worker Movement (Ōtautahi), a branch of a world-wide organisation of the same generic name. Justice is built on love We Read more