Sixty years ago this week, Pope John XXIII opened the Second Vatican Council, Vatican II, in St Peter’s Basilica. The council, which produced over a dozen documents and initiated sweeping reforms, is difficult to summarise. It is not any easier to summarise the timeline of reactions since those documents were promulgated. One reading goes like Read more
Portugal’s president is under fire for seeming to make light Catholic clergy sex abuse revelations. After finding members of the Portuguese Catholic Church had sexually abused over 400 children, President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa indicated the number didn’t seem significant. “Having 400 cases doesn’t seem to me to be a lot, because in other countries Read more
A New York judge has ruled that people in polyamorous (multi-person) relationships are entitled to the same legal protections as married people. In a ruling on a dispute over a rent-stabilised apartment, Judge Karen May Bacdayan of the Civil Court of the City of New York opined that the legal protection of same-sex relationships shouldn’t Read more
YouTube videos produced by Catholic or pro-life organizations will now bear an abortion disclaimer and a link to an abortion webpage. This means YouTube videos about Pope Francis, Catholic teaching on abortion, and alternatives to abortion now include links to abortion information that video creators might reject. Clare Morell, a policy analyst with the Ethics Read more
Leaders of several churches have been appalled by the treatment of Andrew Thorburn, who was forced to resign as CEO of AFL club Essendon when sermons by the church of which he is chairman became public. The sermons likened abortion to concentration camps and included claims that “practising homosexuality is a sin” – views which Read more
New Zealand is one of the world’s worst places to bring up a child, a Guardian newspaper report says. Poverty and overcrowding are leading to life-changing health outcomes. Diseases like rheumatic fever are rife in some communities. Yet – the annual Ministry of Social Development Child Poverty Report found child poverty in New Zealand is Read more
The NZ Synod response cannot turn to custard. Issues only go away when they are dealt with. The New Zealand Catholic Bishop’s Conference National Synthesis sent to Rome on 16th August 2022 completes New Zealand’s stage in the synodal process. Responses from each Diocese were categorized under 6 themes: Inclusion, Gathering, Leadership, Education & Formation, Read more
The president of the German bishops’ conference Bishop Georg Bätzing sat down with Cardinal Kurt Koch on October 4 to clear the air with the ‘Christian Unity’ president. Bätzing had demanded an apology from the Vatican’s Koch (pictured) over comments that brought up Germany’s Nazi past. He lamented what he called Koch’s “untenable statements” about the Read more
Each month Pope Francis prays for a special intention. This month, he wants Catholics to listen to the Holy Spirit so the Church gets closer to God and becomes a place of solidarity, fraternity and welcome. “Let us pray that the Church, ever faithful to the Gospel and courageous in preaching it, may live in Read more
The newly appointed CEO of AFL club Essendon said he was forced to step down from the position because of his role as a church chairman, and believes his “personal Christian faith is not tolerated or permitted in the public square”. Former NAB CEO Andrew Thorburn (pictured) said, “I was being required to compromise beyond Read more