Over the past week or two there have been public statements coming out of America in particular about sexual abuse by priests and others in the Church. Cover-ups allowed this behaviour to continue. Catholic and secular media are awash with commentary. At the heart of the storm has been findings in Pennsylvania and a testimony Read more
Finally, the Vatican has done a deal with China, or rather with the ruling Chinese Communist Party that has been conducting an escalating program of repression against religion. The deal is already drenched in controversy and opposed by many Chinese Catholics and anti-pope conservatives. But the Vatican hopes it is just the first fruit of Read more
Just a few months ago – though it seems like years – Washington, DC was the most coveted see in America. Though not the largest or wealthiest diocese, its archbishop is often the most politically well-connected cleric in the United States. All that changed when its former archbishop, Theodore McCarrick, was revealed to be a Read more
I commend Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern for condemning chemical warfare. Recently she stated, “New Zealand condemns any use of chemical weapons, whether it is in Syria or on the streets of the UK. “New Zealand believes all states must adhere to obligations under international law, including in respect of chemical weapons.” It is however inconsistent Read more
Please, let us get real about this history of abuse in the Church. Isn’t it time we paid attention to what the Holy Spirit is telling us? Celibacy might be a fine ideal but it doesn’t always fit well with reality. Diocesan Catholic priests need to have the option of marriage. About twelve years ago, Read more
An estimated one in 100 New Zealanders are homeless with 24 per cent of the total homeless population being children and there are warnings this number could be higher. According to 2013 census data, which was collated by the University of Otago, Wellington’s Dr Kate Amore in her Severe Housing Deprivation in New Zealand study, Read more
The 2016 Census suggested about a third of Australian teens had no religion. But ask a teenager themselves about religion, rather than the parent or guardian filling in the census form, and the picture is slightly different. According to our new national survey, at least half of teens say they are “religious nones” – those Read more
Great shocks to the system often can jar loose utterly new responses from institutions typically given to maintaining the status quo. Other times, the effect can be to reopen debates from the past which, not so long ago, seemed definitively closed. That latter scenario may be unfolding in Australia right now, pivoting on once-intense debates Read more
The recent release of the Pennsylvania grand jury report on clergy sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Church during the past 70 years has unleashed another round of headline news and sadly, much misinformation about this critically important problem. Few topics elicit more emotion and rage from the public than sexual abuse committed by Catholic Read more
I cannot help wondering if the current implosion of ecclesiastical credibility over clergy sex abuse has the potential to create a new moment of grace, one that breaks down outmoded governance models and creates new ones better suited for our times. We may already have a road map — thanks to liberation theologian Leonardo Boff. Read more