Some say if the Bowraville children had been white their killer would have been brought to justice by now. But 20 years later, after two investigations, two trials, a coronial inquest, a change to the law, two appeals to attorneys-general and a petition to Parliament, no one has been convicted. One reason for this could Read more
This weekend would be an ideal time for the leaders of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) to reconsider the political strategy they have adopted in their fight against the Obama administration’s contraceptive mandate. In their bid to undo that offensive mandate, the bishops could theoretically look for help from each branch of the Read more
Someone reminded me of this document put out by the USCCB on communion in 2006, which states: In virtue of our membership in the Catholic Church we are ordinarily free to receive Holy Communion. In fact, it is most desirable that we receive the Lord’s Body and Blood, so that Holy Communion stands out clearly as Read more
It is almost a year now since the conclusion of the theological talks between the Society of St. Pius X and the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. More than five months have passed since the General Superior of that priestly society received from the Vatican dicastery a “Doctrinal Preamble” which, the CDF maintains, Read more
Brother Guy Consolmagno gets a lot of interesting looks and questions when he tells people he’s an astronomer for the Vatican Observatory. “That’s the reason the Vatican has an observatory, precisely so people will get that puzzled look on their face,” jokes the affable American, who’s visiting Vancouver to help Catholics celebrate the 400th anniversary Read more
Relationships are at the core of our beings. We are made for relationships. We are constituted in and through relationships. We thrive in relationships. This should not surprise us as we are made in the image and likeness of that Eternal Community of Life and Love we call God. All of us grow – or Read more
On a clear, windy Sunday in March 2010, Father William Breslin told his parishioners at Sacred Heart of Jesus in Boulder, Colorado why the parish school would not re-enroll a child of same-sex parents for the coming school year. “I hate the fact that I had to make a choice between being loving and protecting Read more
The first generation of children exposed to methamphetamine in the womb are reaching school age and filtering into Hawke’s Bay classrooms, putting pressure on resources and raising serious questions for our communities. Behaviour at Hawke’s Bay schools supports findings of a New Zealand study showing children exposed to the drug prenatally lagged behind their peers Read more
In the run-up to a consistory, Rome takes on the atmosphere of a college reunion. Church people from all over turn up, making it hard to walk down the street without bumping into someone you know. That’s been the case this week, ahead of Saturday’s consistory in which Pope Benedict XVI will create 22 new Read more
Detention could soon be a relic of the past, with schools increasingly dropping the punishment in favour of “restorative chats” and other rehabilitative measures. St Patrick’s College Silverstream is the latest Wellington high school to adopt the restorative justice principles, with a no-detention approach for even the worst troublemakers. The practice is becoming widespread in Read more