It is no secret that Pope Francis is getting pushback from certain corners of the church these days. The church in the United States has been infected by the same harshness and polarization that inflame our politics. Our faith is challenged by ongoing polemics between Catholics labeled progressive and conservative. The due reverence afforded the papacy Read more
A new neighbourhood missionary outreach initiative in Rome is looking for teams of “courageous explorers”, risk takers in other words. “Don’t go looking for those who have shown they are prudent, measured and detail-oriented,” Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, told pastors in the diocese of Rome last week. Ideally, the teams should include “people who draw Read more
The Archbishop of Wellington cardinal John Dew wants to go further than just combining parishes and reducing the number of church buildings. He is calling for a more mission-focused church. In an extended interview, posted on Stuff about two recent memos he has recently circulated, Dew said there should be “fewer conversations about ‘the colour Read more
John Allen Chau’s life could be summed up in two sentences, according to his family. He loved God. And he had “nothing but love for the Sentinelese people.” Chau, a young missionary from the United States, was killed on Nov. 17 while illegally attempting to invade the land of the North Sentinel Islanders, an indigenous Read more
The relationship between Jews and Christians is the subject of a correction Pope emeritus Benedict XVI has published in theological magazine “Communio.” He was responding to a newspaper article alleging he favoured missionising the Jews and called Jewish-Christian dialogue into question. Benedict’s correction affirms Christians are called to a “dialogue” with the Jews rather than a Read more
I think in this new missionary context which Francis is constantly referring to, the role of a small flexible mobile dynamic lay community is absolutely key in the world today. It’s key because we’re not encumbered by the need to maintain a particular kind of institutional relationship or indeed any institution at all. We can Read more
When you’ve been married as long as my husband and I have, to speculate on what it would be like to be a single person is almost too fantastical. Or worse, when we imagine divorce or death, we horrify each other with the prospect of going on a first date with someone else. We dated Read more
“All those who want to go to Ecuador to mainly build houses, please raise your hands. OK! All those who have raised their hands, please stay home! Now, those of you who want to mainly listen and learn from the faith and culture of Ecuadorans, join my immersion trip.” This is how veteran Comboni Missionary Read more
Dr Jennifer Te Paa-Daniel believes the Christian churches are in danger of becoming exclusive. She says they are just serving the needs of their own congregations rather than reaching out to the community and taking risks. “Jesus didn’t hang out with those who had it all together,” she says. Te Paa Daniel, who is an Read more
The Vatican’s doctrinal office is to issue a letter to bishops on the relation between hierarchical and charismatic gifts for the Church’s life and mission. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith is to release Iuvenescit Ecclesia (“the Church grows young”) on June 14. It will be the CDF’s first major document issued during the Read more