October 4, Pope Francis signed his new encyclical, Fratelli Tutti during a visit to Assisi. The encyclical calls for a new kind of politics and emphasises social friendship as a way to build a more just and peaceful world. It encourages the contribution of all people and institutions and seeks to build a global movement Read more
Working together for the common good during the pandemic is crucial or we’ll emerge worse off, Pope Francis told the crowd at his general audience last Wednesday. Focusing his talk on the common good, which is a central theme in the Church’s social teaching, he said: “A virus that does not recognize barriers, borders or Read more
In one of my earliest memories, my father is warning me about a famous man, “Remember, he still puts his pants on one leg at a time.” I remembered this warning when I heard about the fall of another famous icon, Brother Jean Vanier, the revered founder of L’Arche, an ecumenical community where disabled and Read more
There are only three physical examples of God’s unconditional love for us here on Earth: the love from one’s mother, the love from one’s grandmother(s) and the love one receives from a very large dog. Read more
Seeing the world through the eyes of love is the God view of the world and not our way of seeing. Generally, we have a polarised view of the world, divisions created by our values system. Our list for nature goes something like this: monarch butterflies good, white butterflies bad, kauri trees good, pine trees Read more
“Shocked” and “You’re a disgrace”, were two reactions from a couple of friends when I confessed to watching the Royal Wedding. Yes, the wedding was a “who’s who” and fashionista’s delight. But it was the address and the animated picture of Bishop Michael Curry, the first black presiding bishop and Primate of the Episcopal Church Read more
Let’s start by telling the truth: we love a tiny fragment of the world’s population. I didn’t lose a wink of sleep over the Syrian women and children who died because of chemical weapons. I don’t feel a twinge of guilt when I eat my dinner and think of hungry, homeless families sleeping under interstate Read more
This morning I sat with two lots of readings. Early prayer was with John 15, verses 7 – 11, the beautiful love commandment in which Jesus uses the word “love” nine times to emphasize its importance, finishing with, “I am giving you these commands so you will love one another.” Then at breakfast, I opened Read more
Terrorists may be surprised at the loving, Christian message the General Bishop of the UK’s Coptic Orthodox Church has posted for them. Bishop Angaelos says he grieves for those who have died and for those who mourn them. He also grieves for the young men who see it as “not only justifiable, but glorious, to Read more
Terry and I were in a rental car in Jordan. We’d driven from Amman to the site where Moses stood to view the Promised Land. Narrow roads wound through wilderness with occasional habitation: some Bedouin tents, boys with a few sheep or goats walking behind them, a small town with a roadside stall where aromatic Read more