The Bishops’ Conference of the Nordic Countries recently wrote an open letter to the German Bishops’ Conference to voice concerns over the Synodal Path now underway in Germany. They ‘“let rip” at the Germans. The Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Iceland Church leaders’ letter is an excellent example of one group of bishops seeing the Read more
After a year of disruptions with severe social and economic impacts for us individually and collectively, we need to hold on to hope. We are all dealing with Covid—no one is excluded from this experience. We know the grief of these times; those with secure incomes have had greater security, while those without this have Read more
Covid is bringing everything to the point of unstoppable change. The pandemic experience is reforming and reconfiguring our presumptions of contemporary life and liturgical practice and community. The constraints imposed through social lockdown have reframed our church life and will influence how we “do” church for years to come. For Catholics, the experience of Covid Read more
Women deacons are in effect working well in the Church, except we do not call them deacons, and they are not ordained. This is the view of Dr Joe Grayland, theologian, author and parish priest of three parishes in Palmerston North, New Zealand. He questions whether we need another form of the clergy. Grayland made Read more
Fr Thomas J Reese’s article ‘Vatican II made changes to the liturgy. It’s time to think about making more’ (America, April 16, 2021) generously invites others into a conversation on a ‘second phase’ of liturgical reform, where consensus is transparent, collegial and synodal. This conversation in the English-speaking churches needs to be globally diverse, not Read more
An idea hatched in Wellington last year and tested during COVID lockdown received international recognition on Saturday when Flashes of Insight was featured in the influential “Letter from Rome”. A weekly ‘must-read’ for informed Catholics, the Letter shapes and unravels the burning issues of the day in the Vatican and the Church. The conversation on Read more
One reading of the Vatican’s same sex blessing statement is it has back-fired according to theologian Dr James Alison. “I’ve been rather encouraged, and particularly surprised how much more unworriedly critical a vast number of people, including cardinals and bishops have been”. He’s calling the Vatican’s same-sex blessing statement “a shot in the foot”. James Read more
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith’s (CDF) Responsum concerning the blessing of same-sex unions brings into focus the important theological question of how homosexuality is to be understood within the order of creation and within Scripture. On the basis of its understanding, the CDF concluded that the Church cannot officially bless people in Read more
Disruptive innovation is not a common term in theological and liturgical discussions. The term comes from Clayton Christensen’s 1997 book The Innovator’s Dilemma. Christensen explains that successful companies are those that can meet not only their customers’ current needs but anticipate their future ones too. Disruptive innovators – disruptors – are more likely to displace Read more
The Catholic Church is selling “the Eucharist” and people short and is making a mistake by turning Mass into a YouTube experience. The comments are from Thomas O’Loughlin, emeritus professor of Historical Theology at the University of Nottingham and Director of Studia Traditionis Theologiae. “There are some things Zoom and YouTube just won’t do because Read more