Hour by hour countless munitions fall in an exchange of fearsome fire. Smoke erupts from shattered Buildings hanging through the orange glow of flame. This narrow strip of sea-edged land littered streets torn metal, broken brick, shattered tiles, lifeless forms. Costly retribution for a savage act, lost lives, wailing cries and threat of siege. This Read more
I recently mentioned the shrinking number of believers in Australia and discussed the increased diversity in the remaining faith pool. I received a surprisingly large number of requests to dive deeper into the topic of religion, to discuss the societal role of religion in more detail. As your humble demographic servant, I couldn’t possibly turn Read more
Lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles are both their biggest plus and most dangerous threat – to owners and the environment. Last Thursday, ABC AM interviewed Catriona Lowe, deputy chair of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, to discuss the fire risk of battery charging. She was speaking after an electric scooter exploded in a fireball Read more
Many older Catholics have told me: “We were not allowed to read the Bible.” If this is true, I can understand why, having seen the different ways people have interpreted scripture. I grew up in a home where it was believed that every word in the Bible was dictated by God. Reading scripture could be Read more
The same-sex blessings near Cologne Cathedral (pictured) were a public salute to scores of private ceremonies among European Catholics in recent years. The crowd waved rainbow flags and according to media reports, sang “All You Need Is Love” by the Beatles. The mid-September rites included Catholic priests reciting blessings for same-sex and heterosexual couples and, Read more
The ongoing synod on synodality is an opportunity for the church leadership to become more accountable towards sexual abuse cases, increase laity participation, and bring more transparency within the Catholic Church, says an expert. “A synodal Church is a listening Church… but it needs to go a step further: a synodal Church is an accountable Read more
In the days leading up to the Synod, which began last Wednesday, several synod retreat meditations were presented to those preparing to participate in the global meeting of bishops in Rome. One of the meditations focussed on the meaning of ‘Authority’ and another on ‘The Spirit of Truth’. Authority There can be no fruitful conversation Read more
No one knows for sure why Pope Francis chose to publish his responses to the dubia presented by five intransigent cardinals. My first thought was: Don’t swing at pitches in the dirt. And, it is tempting to observe that these dubious cardinals simply had it coming. Coming on the eve of the opening of the Read more
A famous Zen koan asks: What is the sound of one hand clapping? A contemporary spiritual riddle might inquire: What is the sound of a woman leaving the Church? Neither has an answer. There is only silence. I re-entered Catholicism with some trepidation, overpowered by a longing I could not name. Intellectually, I understood that Read more
God is not in the minority… This is an assertion I can make only through faith and Scripture. I believe that God’s presence is expressed in every heart and in every reality, beyond the signs and words (religious or otherwise) that express this presence. “The wind blows where it pleases; you can hear its sound, Read more