Until a recent moment in human history, writes Martin Amis, “there was, simply, the Man.” The Man’s chief characteristic “was that he got away with everything.” But today, men seem to have lost their groove around the industrialised world. By almost any statistical measure, the average man is worse off than he was forty years Read more
To properly understand McElroy’s radical inclusion proposals, it is necessary to situate them in the context of the pastoral ecclesiology and synodal process advocated by Pope Francis. The pastoral ecclesiology of Pope Francis is the background for McElroy’s essay. Francis envisions a consciously expansive church characterized as a mother that excludes no one. A priority Read more
Pope Francis is warning against the self-referential attitude of some lay ministers who become ‘puffed up’ by their ministry. Francis stressed the significance of lay ministers serving others rather than inflating their egos. “I get angry when I see lay ministers who — pardon the expression — are ‘puffed up’ by this ministry. This is Read more
There are many ways to be Catholic. The comment comes from the West Australian archbishop and member of the preparatory committee for the General Assembly of the Synod, Timothy Costelloe. He says that ongoing consultation with Catholics worldwide needs to give more deference to local church authorities. Pope Francis’s global synod – which began in Read more
The Washington Post detailed last March how a group of Catholic conservatives in the United States spent millions of dollars de-anonymizing mountains of data to identify priests who were using phone apps that facilitate sexual hook-ups, like Grindr and Tinder. The most public of the targets was Msgr Jeffrey Burrill, who was general secretary for Read more
As Poles move away from the church – particularly the urban young, and also some older believers in the Catholic small-town heartlands – a deeply religious country wrestles with its own identity. The Black Madonna of Częstochowa looks much like other Eastern religious icons, with its deep golden halos and sombre colour palette. But the Read more
In a Sunday address, Pope Francis made a heartfelt plea to the world to pray for Sudan, urging the country’s warring military factions to set aside their arms and actively seek peace. “I am following with concern the events unfolding in Sudan,” he said on April 16 from a window overlooking St Peter’s Square. “I Read more
Retired Catholic Bishop of Dunedin Colin Campbell has been appointed as the Interim Rector of Holy Cross Seminary in Auckland. Campbell is taking over from Father Mathew Vadakkevettuvazhiyil, who has left the seminary. Bishop Emeritus Campbell accepted the interim role until a permanent appointment is made, expected at the end of 2023. The appointment has Read more
The short answer to this question is no. Gender is something that belongs to humans; God is beyond gender. But because we believe in a personal God, and people are gendered, some of us can’t help but envision God as having a gender. Throughout Christian tradition, believers have leaned heavily toward depicting God as male. Read more
As part of the synodal process, Archbishop of Perth Tim Costelloe urges bishops to listen non-defensively and understand “where people are.” Costelloe has spoken out in support of the synod process, calling it a “fantastic opportunity” for the Catholic Church to engage with the contemporary world. He has urged adding that the synod is inviting Read more