It is hard to believe but Pope Francis is coming up on the fourth anniversary of his election as pope on March 13. In four years, the pope has had a profound impact on the church. True, he has not changed the church’s position on birth control, celibacy, women priests and gay marriage, but he Read more
Amid the well-groomed homes and quiet roads in the suburbs of Karori in Wellington rises an unexpected structure, with a steep, folded roof that pierces the sky. Designed by John Scott, a New Zealand architect of Irish, Scottish, and Māori descent, the Futuna Chapel has stood on its plot for nearly 60 years, regarded as “the most complete example Read more
Muslims will outnumber Christians by 2070, ending two millenniums of Christian dominance going back to the birth of Jesus Christ, projections released Thursday by the Pew Research Center show. Islam is projected to grow more than twice as fast as any other major religion over the next half century because of a higher fertility rate. Read more
Young people are self-centred, self-interested and self-ish. They are ego and, ergo, their world begins (and ends) with them. They are the i-Generation – emphasis on the “I”. Maybe. “Turn it off,” she said. “I can’t watch.” My 11-year-old niece closed her eyes against the screen, blocking out the kids with no shoes, raincoats or Read more
“When three years ago I accepted my appointment in the commission, I said that if I had found a conflict between what was happening behind closed doors and what was being said publicly, I would not have stayed. This has happened and this is why I have left.” Marie Collins’ home phone in Dublin is Read more
This feels like the worst of times for Muslims in America. While hatred for and visceral fear of Muslims began long before President Trump’s campaign hatched, his odious rhetoric and reckless decisions promise a potentially horrifying climax. Given Trump’s intentions for a “Muslim ban” and the fury his followers harbor for Islam, the backdrop for Read more
With thirty years of marriage, six kids, and a record of pro-life and pro-family voting behind him, New Zealand’s new Prime Minister, Bill English, has a pretty good record for a politician in a very secularised Western country. Of course, he hasn’t done it all on his own. His wife, Mary, who is also a Read more
Wasil awoke to the sound of a knife ripping through nylon. Although he was only twelve years old, he was living alone in a small tent at a refugee camp in Calais, France, known as the Jungle. Men entered his tent; he couldn’t tell how many. A pair of hands gripped his throat. He shouted. Read more
Lent is a new beginning, a path leading to the certain goal of Easter, Christ’s victory over death. This season urgently calls us to conversion. Christians are asked to return to God “with all their hearts” (Joel 2:12), to refuse to settle for mediocrity and to grow in friendship with the Lord. Jesus is the Read more
Stalin famously said of the Church, “The Pope! How many divisions has he?” Less well known is Churchill’s response that Stalin “might have mentioned a number of legions not always visible on parade”. Indeed, the reach and influence of the Church are not easily described by statistics alone, yet the raw statistics are staggering enough. Read more