The Catholic Church seems to be tripping over itself to avoid issuing a clear and definitive apology for the church’s role in Canada’s residential schools after the remains of 215 children were reportedly discovered outside a Catholic-run school in Kamloops. While concerns about liability may be a factor, one significant barrier is theological. In traditional Read more
When Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, the disgraced former papal nuncio to the United States, released an unprecedented and soon discredited letter in 2018 alleging Pope Francis’ complicity in covering up for former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick’s history of abuse, San Francisco’s Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone came to Viganò’s defence. Despite Viganò’s shocking call for Pope Francis’ resignation, Read more
Now it is formally illegal to ordain a woman as a deacon. Or as a priest. Or as a bishop. On June 1, Pope Francis promulgated revisions to the Code of Canon Law detailing crimes and punishments. The new “Book VI: Penal Sanctions in the Church” takes effect on December 8. Most of the revisions Read more
In our world Church today, there are two conversations at a national level about how a national Synod should occur. One is in Germany and another is in Australia. There seems little doubt that these conversations are only the first two of what will become dozens and dozens of conversations seeking to clarify what the Read more
One of the authors of a recent paper comparing the costs and emissions of electric and petrol-powered cars in Aotearoa New Zealand, Associate Professor Ralph Chapman, says a “blind, headlong rush to electric vehicles is pretty myopic”. “We shouldn’t delude ourselves electric cars are good. They’re just not as problematic as what I call ‘fossil Read more
Last month, as the Food and Drug Administration paused use of Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine to evaluate the risk of blood clots in women under 50, many scientists noted that clots associated with birth control pills were much more common. The comparison was intended to reassure women of the vaccine’s safety. Instead, it has Read more
When Antje Mahler came out as queer in her teens, her family struggled to come to terms with her sexuality. She struggled to come to terms with her spirituality. “Your religion is the first thing they take away from you when you come out of the closet,” said Mahler, who was raised Catholic in Bavaria, Read more
Walk into St Lukes mall in Auckland and you’ll find Body Haven massage on the second floor. Last year, the company was found guilty of paying a masseuse the equivalent of 86¢ an hour. It was ordered to repay the worker $8000 and put on a “stand-down” list preventing it from hiring migrant labour for Read more
Researchers are warning religious leaders, teachers and parents there isn’t going to be a simple “back to normal” approach for young people after the COVID-19 pandemic. Rather, we should all be looking for ways to help them experience “the new normal.” That’s the argument from Springtide Research Institute, which surveyed 2,500 members of Generation Z Read more
A leading canon lawyer explains how a valid marriage in the Catholic Church’s tradition must meet three requirements. Rev Prof Michael Mullaney, President at Ireland’s national seminary, St Patrick’s College Maynooth and a leading Canon Lawyer said the couple party to such a marriage “must-have capacity (ie the requisite freedom and knowledge to give such Read more