“I believe that this profound human thirst for infinite happiness, which we all feel at times, is the most real thing there is. To hope for it is to live in the real world,” insists Timothy Radcliffe, the former Master of the Dominican Order (1992-2001) who is now a best-selling spiritual writer and preacher. Pope Read more
Gilbert Lubega sat in a white plastic chair at his home in Wakiso, a suburb of Uganda’s capital, Kampala, contemplating two photos of a young gay female couple kissing and another one of a male gay couple kissing at their wedding ceremony. “These images make me think the world is coming to an end,” he Read more
On Christmas day, as most New Zealand families awoke to celebrate family and presents, as always many hundreds of families packed out our Catholic Churches across the New Zealand. In contrast to these joyous large Catholic gatherings of families at Christmas, a recent Post Opinion piece followed many other articles highlighting the well-publicised allegations of Read more
This month, we celebrate the sacred birth in an animal shelter. Why such a lowly place? Our views about status miss the message, and we must wrap this birth in splendour – angel song, an unusual star, three kings coming to bow before the child. The wrapping continues until Jesus is lost under layers of Read more
Pope Francis was supposed to be in Dubai this weekend to attend the UN climate change conference COP28. But his doctors forcefully insisted that he not make the trip. They told him it would be too risky for a man of his age who has been fighting a bronchial infection and shortness of breath for Read more
Sometimes the darkness of the world, not to mention of our personal lives, can overwhelm us. When we hear of children killed unrepentantly, for example, human rights routinely denied, the cooking of the world locked in, and nations entrusting power to wilful children. How do you deal with such a dark vision? After the ABC’s Read more
Recently, we have been hearing Israeli and diaspora Jewish voices expressing disappointment at the Catholic Church’s reaction to the terrorist attacks of Oct. 7. The claim is that the pope has not sufficiently condemned the crimes of Hamas and, furthermore, that he has created a symmetry between Hamas and Israel in his comments. If that Read more
The promulgation of Sacrosanctum Concilium, the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, stands as a pivotal moment that ushered in a new era for the Catholic Church. Sixty years hence, we can reflect on the impact of this document on New Zealand’s theological landscape and liturgical practices. Sacrosanctum Concilium is the cornerstone of Vatican II because Read more
COP, or the Conference of the Parties, represents an annual global gathering dedicated to addressing the dire existential threat posed by the climate crisis. This intergovernmental event, however, is a source of considerable controversy, primarily due to the perceived lack of substantial progress in combating the climate catastrophe. Since its inception in 1995, each COP Read more
Speaking to members of the International Theological Commission at the Vatican on Thursday (Nov. 30), Pope Francis asked theologians to “demasculinise” the church in an unscripted remark. “There is something I don’t like about you, if you excuse my honesty,” said Pope Francis, pointing out that there were only five women among the 30-plus theologians. Read more