Posts Tagged ‘Politics’

Can today’s church overcome division?

Thursday, May 23rd, 2024
Christian unity

The Week of Christian Unity, the church celebrated this week, supports an unfashionable cause. It encourages the healing of divisions between churches. Divisions rule In culture, politics and religion, however, division provides most of the news of the day. The religious headlines emphasise fractures within churches. They tell of discrepancy between the professed values of Read more

Avoid trivia and scandals – NZ Bishops’ election statement

Monday, September 25th, 2023
Bishops election statement

The New Zealand Catholic bishops’ election statement wants elected politicians to focus on issues that matter. They say that scandals and trivia that dominate public debate shouldn’t be on the 2023 election agenda. The bishops’ Election Statement for the 2023 General Election says increasing numbers of people are becoming disillusioned and people are disenfranchised because Read more

What does respect life really mean?

Thursday, August 24th, 2023
respect life

Before backing a law banning abortion in Texas altogether, Gov. Greg Abbott propelled a 2021 measure banning abortion after a heartbeat has been detected, saying he “would protect the life of every child with a heartbeat.” He happens to be Catholic. So why did Abbott put razor wire and a floating barrier in the Rio Read more

The politics of poverty

Monday, July 24th, 2023
sleeping in cars

Last Thursday Chris Bishop MP asked the Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment about people sleeping in cars. It’s almost impossible to know, exactly, how many people sleep in cars. “None”, would be the best answer. But this isn’t a “best answer” world. One measure is how many people on the Housing Register (essentially Read more

Raw materials, or sacred beings? Lithium extraction puts two worldviews into tension

Thursday, May 4th, 2023
lithium

Located in the heart of South America, Bolivia contains the largest lithium deposits in the world – an enviable position, in many countries’ eyes, as the market for electric vehicles takes off. Though EVs emit fewer greenhouse gases than fuel-powered vehicles, their batteries require more minerals – especially lithium, which is also used to make Read more

Political leaders: Does faith matter?

Thursday, December 8th, 2022

Today Australia is awash with politicians who identify or are identified as Catholic. Anthony Albanese is a Catholic. Down the Eastern seaboard, the three state premiers, Dominic Perrottet (NSW), Daniel Andrews (Victoria) and Peter Malinauskas (SA) are Catholics. There are many other high-profile Catholics at ministerial level and as opposition leaders. Others, like Queensland Premier, Read more

Fiji’s archbishop warns against ‘new colonial forces’

Thursday, October 13th, 2022
Fiji archbishop

Fiji’s archbishop is warning that “new colonial forces” are moving into the Pacific Island nation. “Today, there are new colonial forces moving into Fiji,” says Archbishop Peter Loy Chong of Suva. “There is the fear of China and Chinese extractive industries and companies. There are powerful multinational corporations taking their places. Big nations like Australia, Read more

Polarisation an easy, poisonous way to react to complex world

Monday, September 12th, 2022
politics

Everybody loses when politics tries to poison church life and when church members use the logic of politics, an Italian cardinal says. “To poison ecclesial relations with the logic of politics is making trouble,” says Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, the president of the Italian bishops’ conference. This isn’t just a problem in Italy, he adds. It Read more

Luxon’s dilemma: when politics and morals don’t match

Monday, July 4th, 2022
politics and morals

The US Supreme Court’s recent ruling to throw out Roe v Wade is an issue of relevance to political leaders in Aotearoa New Zealand. The decision was met with enthusiasm by those opposed to abortion here, including opposition National MP for Tāmaki Simon O’Connor. Pro-choice groups such as Abortion Rights Aotearoa (ALRANZ) expressed alarm, not Read more

Abortion question may be decided politically, real test is a moral one

Monday, June 27th, 2022

The late Cardinal John O’Connor of New York often said women who had abortions were “invincibly ignorant” — they did not understand what they were doing. He blamed the bishops for not teaching convincingly. The question of abortion may be decided politically, but the real test is if morality is taught. The Supreme Court’s decision Read more