Bishop Anthony Randazzo’s address, delivered as President of the Federation of Catholic Bishops conferences of Oceania to the synod media on October 6th, 2024, brought to light several crucial concerns. The significance of his address cannot be overstated, as it sheds light on key issues that demand our attention not only around his two niche Read more
As the last session of the Synod on Synodality continues its second week, an interview published on Tuesday gives more insight on Pope Francis’s vision of the role of synodality in the Church today. It highlights some of the inherent tensions between the use of synods and the power of the papacy in modern Catholicism. Read more
Since the COVID-19 crisis, there have been increasing concerns about the deterioration of mental health among teenagers and young adults. From surveys to reports, the statistics on young people’s mental health seem to depict a generation in distress—sad, anxious and discouraged. Professor Ludovic Gicquel, head of the child and adolescent psychiatry department at Laborit Hospital Read more
It is widely acknowledged healthy spirituality is good for mental health. Can the same be said for religion, Graham Redding asks. Awareness of the contribution that spirituality can make to health has come a long way. Spiritual care Aotearoa’s healthcare system adopts a holistic approach, often encapsulated in the Māori model of health, te whare Read more
This month, Yale University Press released “The Widening of God’s Mercy: Sexuality Within the Biblical Story,” a highly anticipated book coauthored by preeminent New Testament scholar Richard Hays and his son, Christopher, himself a respected Old Testament scholar. In this book they seek to make a biblical case for same-sex relationships and marriage. Ending the Read more
One year ago, the longest and deadliest war between Israelis and Arabs since 1948 began, having profound effects on the Catholic Church. Pope Francis marked the anniversary of the beginning of the war in Israel after the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack by calling a day of prayer and fasting for peace. On October 6, Read more
What is it with the Roman Catholic Church and women? It’s not as if they just arrived on the scene and need to be integrated into the life of the Church. In fact, they are the life of the Church. It is the women who predominantly do the heavy lifting of Catholic life; they educate, Read more
As the second session of the Synod begins, it’s striking how little attention is given to the issue of women—not only within the Synod itself but also in church policy and in the behavior of women themselves. The exclusion of women from synodal debate is a papal decision, reaffirming their exclusion from “holy orders,” meaning Read more
The great educator and cultural historian Walter Ong, S.J., wrote an essay for America in 1990 in which he suggested the metaphor of yeast can serve as a powerful model for Catholic education. Yeast, he wrote, is an agent of infusion, of integration and penetration that transforms the flour into which it is introduced. He Read more
Is the Synod on Synodality the most important moment for the Church since the Second Vatican Council, as one high-ranking Vatican source believes? I’d love to tell you I know exactly what was in front of me October 2 at its reopening in the late afternoon, but that wouldn’t be accurate. For now, this synod Read more