Celibacy is not a direct cause of sexual abuse within the Catholic Church. The comments come from Hans Zollner SJ, a distinguished psychologist with a doctorate in theology. He made the comments in an interview with Infovaticana. “Celibacy is not a direct cause of abuse; what can become a risk factor is a ministry poorly Read more
New Zealand’s National Synod Synthesis has been compiled and released to the public. The diocesan documents were synthesised at a national meeting held in Wellington in June. The introduction to the national document says participants throughout the country “spoke positively and with love about the place the Church has in their lives. “They want the Read more
Throughout the Catholic Church, something is stirring about the way we are governed. For many of us in the Church and across society, we don’t much care about that subject; we long ago made peace with being parts of communities, organizations, nations and even families where we just get on with our lives and leave Read more
The Catholic Church organization reflects an ancient society where women are incapable of leadership and governance says Auckland theologian and lecturer, Jo Ayers. “Second-class membership for women anywhere is unjust,” she told Flashes of Insight on Wednesday. Asked by host Joe Grayland if the relationship of women and the Catholic Church is a problem, she Read more
The most critical shift emphasis since Vatican II is the appreciation and understanding of God’s calling for us laypeople. “They are the Church – co-responsible with bishops, priests, and religious for Christ’s mission on earth” writes Martin Work in “Laity” an introductory observation prefacing Apostolicam Actuositatem. (The decree on the laity). We are the People Read more
Going to church is generally touted as good for the soul. But there is also evidence church attendance can be good for your health — unless, that is, you are a woman at a church that bars women from preaching or other leadership roles. A new study published in the American Sociological Review has found Read more
In his new book Let Us Dream, Pope Francis recognises the success of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in managing the COVID-19 pandemic. “The countries with women as presidents or prime ministers have on the whole reacted better and more quickly than others, making decisions swiftly and communicating them with empathy,” he says. By way of Read more
“Act like Wonder Woman.” At the bottom of a wooden amphitheatre, the man with salt and pepper hair puts his hands on his hips. With a Roman collar around his neck, he continues to give instructions from behind his black face mask: “Plant your feet firmly on the ground, rotate your body, and shake your Read more
When Jerry Falwell Jr. inherited the presidency of the university his father founded, he was a reluctant leader, according to a recent Washington Post profile. Yet in his 13 years in the president’s chair at Liberty, Falwell has slowly expanded his influence from Liberty University’s campus to the national political scene and shown that leadership Read more
I recently heard of a senior U.S. bishop who regularly prays that his civic leader, his president may suffer a mild heart-attack. Not so severe as to threaten his life or his capacity for conversion, but severe enough to require his permanent retirement from office. I wonder how many similar prayers are offered, from the Read more